A place to belong
by Bookeater-otaku
Summary: Collab with Shiroyuki9 - 5 months after they left, the gang is ask to return to the BPRD to save the world in an epic odyssey. New familly, friends and foes. Drama, humour, action and so much more, believe it ! OC and Crossover in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer : It is our sad duty to announce to you that infortunately we do not own Hellboy for it already belong to Mike Mignola. u_u

Rating : M just to be safe because eventually we'll have some scene of violence and because eventually we'll be dealing with mature subject matter.

This is "talking", this is 'thinking' and this is _talking in foreign language_.

Enjoy *^_^*

Hellboy : A place to belong

Chapter 1

The gravel was crunching under the tires as the car pulled in the driveway of the seaside house. The typical British fog gently covered everything.

An odd lone and bulky figure exited the car to be greeted by the cold February air, not the he could have felt it, he thought, musing at the memories brought up by the sight of the snow, as he made his way toward the shabby cottage perched on the cliff.

''_Gut, Ich hoffendass dick Affe Ich bereit hat horensie_.''

* * *

As the person, if he could still be called that, was about to knock on the door, he found himself welcome by the Samaritan aiming right at his head, or where his head should be if he still had one. A disbelieving red face found itself starring at it's own reflection in the translucent bowl and was replace shortly by a scowling one.

''Oh, it's you. So it's your turn now ?''

''Hello to you too, Hellboy ! Long time no see ! How was my trip ? Oh, very pleasant, such a lovely countryside. Yes, I'm still disembodied, thank you for asking. It's really a joy to see a familiar face.'' said Krauss in a cheerful voice dripping with sarcasm.

* * *

The unexpected visitor was a good surprise for the inhabitant of the house and the welcomes was far warmer that he originally expected. Krauss realized then that even if hadn't seen Hellboy, Elizabeth and Abraham in the past five months, since their confrontation with the prince Nuada, they had given him a place in their close circle. Well, enough of a place that he wouldn't kick him out of the house like all the other agents before him that tried to bring them back.

Since the three top agents quit the BPRD and installed themselves in the old cottage of the late Harry Middleton, a dear friend of professor Broom, the big red ape has been an impenetrable wall.

As they sat at the table, Miss Sherman being a good hostess, offered coffee (not that he would drink it, but he could still appreciate the gesture), Krauss took a good look at his surrounding. You could not tell that the house was abandoned up until a few month ago. Personal touches have given it a homey feeling. Some oddities in the decor proved that the inhabitant were not a run of the mill familly, for example all the homemade protective charms that ornate the doors and windows ... or the jar of rotting egg on the kitchen counter ... and the many weird scorch marks here and there ... but all in all it was home he supposed. He even read in one of the last surveillance report that they installed a giant tub for Abe to sleep in.

* * *

We exchanged the latest gossips and news about their new life and what was happening back at the BPRD, all the while dodging the important matters.

The atmosphere was almost relax before the conversation turned to an uneasy one. Everyone in the room knew the real reason behind the visit and dreaded the confrontation. 'While I feared the wild temper of ''ex''-agent Hellboy and how it could compromise the mission, the real threat is coming from someone else all together.'

''...and then Manning said : That's why the giant chicken was sleeping with you're wife.'' Hellboy began choking on the smoke of is cigar with laughter, Elisabeth was wiping tears from her eyes while stifling a hiccup and Abraham was smiling with silent mirth.

''Ha! That's Manning for you. He couldn't find his ass even if he had a map.'' said Hellboy.

''And that's why he send me here Mr. Hellboy'' The ball was thrown and I felt that a direct approach would be best. ''He can't seems to be able to make the situation here ... less ... shall we say ... strained.''

''There IS no 'situation'. And if Manning can't get that, I'll make sure to 'massage' that strain for him.'' replied Hellboy as he flexed his stone fingers.

I looked at the others for help, while I suspected that Mr. Sapien would probably approved of my arguments, I dared to hope that Miss. Sherman could be just as reasonable. No luck.

From the part of Mr. Sapien, I was only met with his strong resolve to help his best friend. And Miss. Sherman ... let just say that looking into her eyes was akin as looking directly at an out of control bonfire as you realised that you had mistaken the bucket of water for a gallon of gasoline. No help there.

"How barbarian. Is that how you solve all of your problems ? There more than just the three of you being involved here ... not with Miss. Sherman condition."

* * *

There it was, the core of the problem, the pregnancy of Elizabeth Sherman, the strongest pyrokinectic ever recorded, with Hellboy, the prodigal son of Professor Broom and also, the demon that was prophesised to destroy the world. When the BPRD discovered the proverbial bomb, well maybe in this case it's a literal one, panic swept the deck. All of the various doctors, professors, specialists, occult gurus and other professionals flew of the bat, if you would pardon the expression. They all shared theories on what could be expected, all more ridiculous one than the others; and the physicians where still pondering on how it could have happened. Well, not the "how" per say, but more on the genetic behind it.

Truly, it became the top priority to get back the agents. Also, it would be very bad publicity if the outside world learned that the bureau could not keep it's own monsters in check. All the top brass were getting nervous, 'THEY' can reproduce! It never was something they would have envisioned. And every group that were against Hellboy were having a field day ripping Manning to shred, thus making being such as us, good for the hole.

At first, I was strongly opposed to Hellboy's return. Not after I saw how they were willing to sacrifice him without a single thought. As much as I respect the concept of hierarchy and order, I couldn't condone their attitude. Much has to change.

During the three months that I was suspended for disobeying orders, I requested a permanent transfer to America. The vacuum left by their departure made it easy as they cruelly missed the man power, indeed, the effectiveness of the BPRD had drop dramatically since they left. It was that same emptiness and the poor conditions in which us freaks were treated that gave the idea on how to convince Hellboy to come back.

Professor Broom was first one who really sought to comprehend and help us so called errors of nature that did not have a place nor purpose in this world. He teach us not to hold a grunge against the humanity that feared and rejected our existence, but mostly I believe that he meant for us, that we should accept ourselves before we start expecting the same from others.

The BPRD was such a place, a safe haven for those of us who existed outside the fringe of humanity and meant no harm, where we learned to live alongside human and to protect them from within the shadows.

But with Broom gone, the BPRD was like a boat that had lost it's captain, fear installed itself where trust once was. If the place that was created to defend the world had no confidence in it's own staff, how could the world trust it back. The boat needed a captain badly, and that captain was Hellboy. He has been groomed for that role since the beginning, he was … no, he is the logical choice to lead us and the future generations. But he left.

It was one of the reports from one of our agent inside the Vatican that made me ask to lead this attempt to negotiate with Hellboy. I feared for their safety and it was time to put my plan into action. I needed to bring the team back, to regain the trust of the BPRD's superiors and to put the family in a safe place. A place were they could belong.

* * *

"My condition is none of your business" said miss Sherman, the coffee in her hand now boiling inside the cup. The camper, now realized that the bonfire had became a forest fire and that he was going to be blamed for the devastation of hundred of hectares.

"You are right, the Bureau got absolutely nothing to say about it" I replied. "But me, miss Sherman, I worry about you, about you three in fact. I do not wish for any woe to befell upon your family. I am here to help !"

As I utter these words, I saw a glimmer of hope behind all the pent up frustration and unrest that I had mistaken for courage and strength. They knew all too well that their situation was more than precarious.

I pressed on this. "I know that you are wary of the Bureau and that you did not leave on good terms. Even I, was suspended for months and I was able to witness the after-effects, they have lost their moral, Hellboy. Just in the last few months, they have lost three times as many agents than they did in the last five years. They relied on you three too much and now they have lost their crutches. It has come to their mind they are not as good nor as well prepared as you were. They **need** all of you to come back and if you play your cards right, it will be to your advantage. They will accept any of your demands, you have the upper hand, here."

"How ?" asked Hellboy.

Turning toward Abraham. "Mr. Sapien, wouldn't it be safer to have all the medical equipment for the delivery. I'm sure it would also be less unnerving for miss. Sherman, isn't it ?"

"Yes, I've said it often to both Red and Liz : while I may qualify as a doctor and a biologist, this is not my speciality, I just don't have the proper training. At the Bureau, we would have all necessary equipment and they also have the mean to hire a good obstetrician. While there's no complication now, I still really think that you should pass a few tests, Liz. It would be quite reassuring to know the state of your health and the one of the children."

The comment was received with a small nod from the part of miss Sherman, who seemed to be also preoccupied by this matter.

"True" I said "and their also the monetary aspect. From what I've read, you're living of your savings and Prof. Broom's heritage. Eventually the money will become scarce, and what are you going to do then ?"

"We'll find a way" defiantly answered Hellboy.

'That monkey, as stubborn as ever.'

"Oh! I'm sure that your fine disposition and honest face will get you lots of favours during interviews. And what kind of jobs will you get ? Construction ? Demolition ? Bouncer ? Ah, I know, garbage man ! You already have all the experience with the truck. No, I'm sorry but you are a paranormal investigator and the best on there is. The world need you as much as it's not ready for you. Tell me, what other solution is there ? You stay home with _das kind_, while Mr. Sapien offers technical support over the phone and miss Sherman is toasting customers after asking 'Want some fries with that ?' one too many time ?"

'_Oh Scheiße_! I lost my temper and said to much again. If I still had a foot it would leave a lousy after taste. I've lost some ground but it seem the message passed.'

"As I said you now have the upper hand and you have a chance to ask for a raise and no one is in a position to refuse you. It will also give you the opportunity to regain your possessions and to return to a familiar and safer place.

"Yeah ! I miss my cats... are they ok ? Do they feed them correctly ? The spotty one was beginning to get ..."

At that moment, I stop listening dumbfounded. Seeing the rolling eyes of both Elizabeth and Abraham, I deduced that it wasn't the first time that Hellboy ramble on this particular subject. Had I knew he like cats that much, I would have brought him a basket of kittens as a peace offering.

"... Manning wanted to neuters him but he didn't realized that it was the grey one that peed on his desk. Oh, and there was that time ..."

"Yes, yes, that is very interesting" I said, cutting his cats induce monologue "but we need to get back to the point : Why you should go back. It is after all, the reason that push me to request this assignment. While, I was in total agreement with you when you decided to quit the BPRD, and there was no one that wished you more luck with your new lives, I also witness the effects that your departure had on the BPRD and it was catastrophic," I said clearly struck by what I saw these past months. "They ... they can't protect you anymore, Hellboy. The longer you stay away, the more the tension escalate. You may not know this but you have a lot of enemies and they don't want you out there or even alive for that matter. Just you three, it might be ok, I know you can take care of yourselves, but the children change everything."

I made a pause there to let my words sink in, but I believe that they already knew all of this.

"I've come across some informations that show that you are all in grave danger, immediate danger."

"Who ?" asked Hellboy in a voice that sounded like the thunder across the mountain.

"I'm not at liberty to divulgate ..."

"WHO ?" While it's wasn't shouted, one could sense the power and the authority that lure behind the perfectly calm and even tone of his voice.

"The Vatican, for one." I said with a certain amount of shame.

If Hellboy decided to go after them it would be war and before long it could turn really ugly, really fast. I needed to diffuse the situation and quickly.

"Hellboy, you have more allies then you think. Everyone you worked with, friends and colleagues, wants to help and are taking your side. The Special Unit of the Bureau is ready to intervene at a moment notice despite how many treaties it will break. Even that doofus, Manning is spreading himself thin collecting favors and undermining his political career to keep you safe. He is risking his job, Hellboy."

Elizabeth eyes were misty and you could see that Hellboy and Abraham were touched by the attention of their ex-co-workers, but Hellboy just had to add his grain of salt.

"You say that like it's a bad thing" clearly refering to Manning. I swear, their feud only half exist for the fun they have bickering.

"It could have been someone far worst than him" said Abe softly.

"Yes, it is true" I replied "while he is a scaredy bumbling fool of a politician, Manning is a good person that worries about the safety of the public but also that of is own men, even if most of the time, it doesn't seem that way. He got a lot of responsibilities and he's just a little too self-conscious about his own image. He may be a doofus but he is serious and respectful of the rules. And he is never cruel. Just a passive person who got to make important decisions without the ability to lead peoples of actions, and he knows it. But, still he continues because it is what is expected of him."

"Even if all that you said ... might be true. I don't want them to be like me. I don't want my children to ... to live what I lived." answered Hellboy with a look that transcended time, leading him into another period of his life ... one that I didn't know of. One that trouble him greatly, and the key to is rebuttal was lying there.

"What did you live Hellboy?" I ask calmly. I am not sure if he heard me or if he was conscious that he replied.

"I grew up in a military base. It wasn't so bad I guess. There was all the guys, the soldiers that found me in Trondham Abby. They were the one that taught me everything that father couldn't teach me. How to shoot, to fight … how to be a soldier, but also how to play cards or how to fill 's shoes with molasses and to get away with it." said Hellboy smiling at the fond memories.

"And then, there was the others … The Scientists." His face grew severe. "… Father could barely keep them from dissecting me, but that didn't stop them from testing, prodding and poking everything that they could … Later, when I saw Abe in the tank and heard what they planed, I just had to get you out." He said looking at Abraham, while Elizabeth held his hand. I realise that he referred about the time they about to disected Mr. Sapien in order to perform further testing, not caring wether he was a sentient being or not.

But now the trip down memory lane was now over and the father attention was back on me like a tiger on lamb doused with BBQ sauce.

"I don't want any of that happening to my kids, Krauss. Never, and that's why we're never going back."

"It is the very thing we are trying to prevent here, Mr. Hellboy. The solution that I offer you, is your chance to make it so that they'll never be tested on. You can request this as one of the conditions for your return. Things are not the same as before. You three changed the BPRD. You proved that us freaks, can both work and live along side normal people. Those same peoples that want to help you, and like me, will never allow your children to be harmed because they are your friends."

There, I almost convince him. Now, to inspire him.

"Do not turn away the hand that is given, because if you do, they can turn it against you. They will take your children away, because they are too precious for them. They need another you. For in the world as they know it, freaks are shunned from civilisation or locked away because they do not want to open their eyes to this dark world that is ours. They will make another you of your children, so that they can put us away. Us that are bothering them, us that they wish to study and experiment upon. And these new 'Hellboy' won't have your morals, your ethics nor your convictions because of who will have raised them.

"If you choose to go back now, you will be able to protect them, teach them the right way, you will prevent other tragedies like the one that could have befallen Mr Sapien, or help other Elizabeth Sherman to come to term with their gifts. By doing so, you will not preserve civilisation like they would wish you to, but instead you will help us create a place in it for our kin. You will be the hero that helped carve their future into something bright! Will you do what want to do or what you need to do!"

Oh, the expression on his face, the puffed chest. He has the look men that could crawl a thousand miles under the rain if necessary, to deliver the message that would gave away the enemy's position. His inner hero had his ego stroked and he now had the appeal of a goal in front of him like a carrot in front a donkey … Hook, line and sinker if I do say so myself.

"But it will not be enough! We need to _blitz_ them my friend, not let them regain their breath! And I have an idea."

* * *

I decided to wait a little before I exposed them to my plan, for it was almost time for dinner and it would give them time to 'digest' my earlier speech, if you would excuse my pun. They insisted that I explained some more but before I wished to explore with them the conditions and demands of their return to the bureau. Hellboy even made a few jokes on how he finally would be able to get a badge.

As the atmosphere relaxed I went into the kitchen, only to discover that M. Sapien and Hellboy were as useful there than a bag of hammer to a swimmer. So, I choose to help Elizabeth prepare a helping of bread and cheese that would accompany the beef stew that was cooking during the afternoon. Oh, I cursed the loss of my body, because of it I didn't smell the enticing aroma of the stew nor would I be able to taste the soft past cheese that was spread greedily on the bread. I made myself a good orator for the duration of the meal. As I witness the scene that played before me I could see that this was going to be a warm family … not just because of Elizabeth, but because of the peace and that warm mushy cheesy feeling that was felt between them and made them a family.

Usually, after dinner, it is Hellboy and Abraham who were doing the dishes. As they gathered the dirty utensils, they exchange a few jokes about beer, love and dishes that I didn't quite understood. But today Elizabeth offered to do it instead of Hellboy, I felt that she wanted to talk to Abraham about something. I took the opportunity to invite Hellboy for a stroll outside.

* * *

We walk down a flight of stair that lead to a small pier at the bottom of the cliff to get some fresh air and to gaze at the horizon now that the fog had cleared up.

That's when I choose to get the secret weapon that Manning gave me : Cuban cigar. I could feel the envy oozing out of him like the drool out of a Saint-Bernard. The "poor" man had been banned to smoke inside the house and good cigars were hard to come by in the little village where they did their errands.

And now that the big ape had his stomach filled and his brain contented with tobacco, he finally was in the mind set that I needed in order to convince him of my plan ... especially since he would be the one who would shoulder all the risk.

Therefore, I waited for him to engage the conversation. I could see the gears turning in his head, intrigued by what I said earlier.

"So ... What about this idea of yours"

"You see" I began with my metalic muffled voice "... for us freaks, the options are somewhat limited to the various side of a coin. They are those who seek acceptance, a place in the world beside humanity. Those who refuse the human race all together and seek the reclaim the earth for their own. And of course those who live on the edge, wanting simply to be left alone to their own device. We stand on the side of acceptance, trying to act as human as possible, staying within the borders or the law. Your father had given you, Elizabeth, Abraham and I a place we're we can seek such an acceptance, or an illusion of it as we witness ... since they only accept us if we are useful."

Hellboy remained silent, looking the water in a distracted fashion, contemplating the memory of an all too known situation.

"The BPRD as it is now is no solution, for we would have to live by** their **convictions ... _Nein_, it's a partial solution but part of the solution still. What is missing is our convictions, not just our owns but also their conviction. A mix of the two in order to have the acceptance we seek, to be able to live together. To have the supernatural retake it's place within the natural world. What you tried to accomplish by exposing yourself to the world was not a bad move, per say. Maybe to early, way to early but a good move if we consider that now they can't hide any of us, unless we wish to remain hidden."

"A lot of crap that did us. Getting insulted, treated as if we belong in a zoo."

"That is human nature for you, I should know I am one after all."

"Is that where you got your charming personality"

"I really walked into that one, isn't it ?"

"Hum"

"But what happen in New York was because they single you out. They ..."

"They also got Liz and Abe, they called him 'toilet seat guy'. At least they got Manning too." he said smirking at that one.

"Yes, but you are the most notorious one and you are a … a… "

"Demon?"

"Well, if you wish to be crude then yes. That made you an easy target for the media, the whole event needed to be handled better by the PR staff. That is also one of the problems that we will have to deal with but it will have to wait for later."

"You mean going on TV and stuff."

"Yes, but as I said we will look over that later. What is important now is to clam the BPRD's officials by giving them a back up in case you all go AWOL again. We need a bigger A team."

"We already bring about twenty to thirty agents on the field. How more guys gonna change anything ?"

"_Nein_, _nein_, _nein_ my friend. What I mean is more people like us, more special agents." I said as he looked at me with an expression that was a cross between suspicion and if I had grown another bowl. "They are afraid to let you go in part because you are the best and the best, and before you was your father but now, there is no one else. If you were to form a team with peoples who have special abilities, they will have the impression that they can replace you."

"It took my father all his life to teach me all that he knew and there's nobody in the BPRD that got the skills to get all this." He said tapping his forehead with a stony finger.

"Hence, why you need new peoples that will bring a breath of fresh air to the bureau. If you teach them what your father thought you, and not just the know how but also the moral and the ideal. In their turn they will share this with others along with the idea of tolerance and acceptance. You tried to change the world by showing yourself when what you needed to do was to change way how those close to you perceived you. How the Bureau sees you. As the A team gets bigger, with more power, more skills, more important, the more it will have a say in the way of how the BPRD is managed.

"And where we'll find them huh? Under a rock?"

"If that is what it takes, yes, but you know as I do that the BPRD has extended file on people with power and supernatural origin. I know you are already thinking about some."

"Yeah … but they already got the offer and refused it, they all want to be left alone…"

"Even those who wish to be left alone wish for recognition Hellboy. I think if we are able to change the BPRD, they eventually see us as a viable option instead of a prison."

He looked really pensive of a moment, and then said, "They're not gonna let us put anybody we want in you know. They'll want to block us at every turns. They won't want to deal with something that they may lose control of."

"Like that worked with you. There are ways, we can negotiate, bargain, trade …"

"NO PSYCHICS ! They want to stick one on me for years now."

"You see ! That is what is blocking you. You are too stiff on who get close to you …"

'Oups too far'

" … Listen, if the four of us get to be able to choose who we take on the team, we might also get a say in who they will want to choose. Remember, we have the upper hand here but only if we act rapidly, before they get desperate."

I could see that what he was thinking, it could be possible.

"You know there are a lot of people like us and we can find them. They are many of such cases that passes by the bureau only to be deported or locked away somewhere they will never see the light of day again. You could stop the bureau and keep them under your watch as agent. And nobody will say anything because it will be part of your demands. A more effective solution if you will. I am sure that you witnessed many cases where they were in need of help or showed promises and where cruelly turn away or lock up."

"We can't help every cases out there you know. We're not social services. 'Hello, Supernatural Anonymous, how can I help you?' " he said mocking.

"No but we can try Hellboy. We can change the BPRD into something more than just an organisation that protects humanity but into one that also help and protect in-humanity!" I said with a mechanical hiss from my suit.

I waited silently, pensive myself, not knowing what else to say as everything of importance as already been said. My speech had exhausted me, not physically as it is impossible but mentally. I, too, was left starring at the night sky that blended so seamlessly with the blacken sea below, not seeing where neither begins. We now found ourselves in a situation that reflected what we saw. That our future was like this dark horizon and that we could either plunge into the freezing water or soar into the sky without knowing at which one we aimed.

"I'll go back inside." He said breaking the silence. "I'll talk with the others."

* * *

Two days later in the evening, the three wayward agents were boarding with me a plane at destination of the New Jersey.

I know not of the discussions held by those three, but I received their call at my hotel the next day to talk about their options, before I communicated with Manning to give their answers. When they left, I could not help but remark that they didn't look back once the home they were living in, when me I was struggling to build one for myself. It made me think that maybe, home is where the heart is.

* * *

2009-01-29

From The Bookeater

That our first chapters folk. This fanfiction is an enteprise that me and Shiroyuki decided to take almost six months ago after seeing Hellboy 2 at the movies. It took a lot of planing and effort but we made it and we aim to make a long fanfic because we are both fan of Hellboy and we want to contribute to the fandom. Their will have many particularity about this fic that many reader may not like such as OC and crossover. But we both exepect of us a certain quality of our work and we will make so that it gonna be made in the most beliving way possible. The genre of crossover will be explain in the note of the third chapters but get ready to be knock off your chair because you wont be beliving who we will bring into the BPRD. I'm praticaly sure that 90% of the crossover will be unheard of in but they all be classic that almost every bodie know. Well leave a review if you found it fun.

See ya!

Note from Shiroyuki *^_^*

Hi everybody ! First chapter, I'm so thrill.

As you all just see their was a drastic change between the text and the autor note. So now you see with what I got to work with. Decoding what he's trying to say tend to take the most time ... that and the correction. Ooooooh ! the mistakes ! but I don't dispair just yet, I do dear hoping that the more he'll write in english the less mistake he'll make ... but as I said it's a wild hope.

And being the real girl the I am, I just had to complain first but in truth I love to work with him, he's hilarious.

I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter.

Till next time folks *^_^*


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer : Hellboy doesn't belonged to us. There I said it and if you don't believe me you can always ask Bookeater, I'm sure he's gonna tell you the same thing ... and if he doesn't, well don't believe him *^_^*

Rating : M just to be safe because eventually we'll have some scene of violence and because eventually we'll be dealing with mature subject matter.

This is "talking", this is 'thinking' and this is _talking in foreign language_.

Enjoy *^_^*

Hellboy - A place to belong

Chapter 2

Tom Manning is now sitting in his office, deep in the bowel of the BPRD's headquarter in New Jersey. The room is spotless save for a few stray papers on the featureless wooden desk. Brightly lit to compensate for the lack of windows, file holders took the entire length of both side walls, no photos decorating them save an extensive world map behind Manning. Also behind Manning in the left corner are two flagpoles one with the stars and stripes banner and the other in the colors of the BPRD. It gave an image of Spartan effectiveness crossing on the obsessive.

Manning can be seen talking on the phone, having a rather boring conversation with someone probably just as boring as himself. But the really interesting conversation wasn't held over the phone but with someone else, not that there was anyone else in the room. But if an omniscient entity ... well, if that entity happen to be some kind of no-life nerd with a fetish for fifty-ish necktie wearing businessman with a stick so far up is ass the he has no other choice but to sit strait, was bothering to check he would witness a very interesting scene, that of the conversation held between Tom Manning and himself.

It's common knowledge that in general, directors of any kind of important society are two faced important lying jerks, in the same categories as politicians, presidents, lawyers and all the greasy acne faced teenagers who got to the post of manager at McDonald by making 'employee of the month' four years in a row. Frankly those are the worst.

In the case of Manning, it's the two face part that is important. He's the kind of person that often have extensive discussion with himself and don't really question his sanity because they have heard somewhere that it was a sign of intelligence. We'll call this "intelligent" part of Tom Manning : Inner Manning.

And the conversation goes like this: "... and thank your wife for the tie she gave me this Christmas at the consortium party, I really appreciated it ((Yeah, you can tell her it's so ugly that you want to hang yourself with it.)) ... No, I don't think I can come for that little diner with the consul ((The only thing worst than her taste in gift it's the one of her cooking.)) It's a little hectic right now at the Bureau ... yes ... yes, the three are coming back. The special agent I personally dispatched manage to negotiated something ... what kind of demand? ((My head, mostly)) Well for one they insist on having a badge ((Of all the things!)) ... Yes a badge ... No, he didn't had one before ... Why? Well we always thought that giving one was ..." he finish uncomfortably.

Soon, the conversation took a more serious turn. "... I can't disclose this information, it's top secret ... that matter is going to be discuss when they're going to be here ... You can be sure of if, it won't go the way the Board wants ((More like he's going to make Swiss cheese out of the Board if I let him hear what they wanted to do ... Good God, they are mad men and I am there leader.))

A pop-up message on his computer screen made him stop the conversation.

"Ah! It seem that their plane has arrived. I must go ... It's always a pleasure to talk with you ((Mister my double D wife who used to be an escort. Jerk.))". He put down the receiver and made is way out of his office. ((He's not any better than those xenophobe on the board. God ... Sometime I hate my job.))

* * *

Waiting at the entrance of the hangar bay were a bunch of agents, lawyer and other representatives ((Woopidoo. I get a bunch of muscle goons, a handful of sharks and some canon fodders. Like that's going to stop him from caving my teeth in.)). It's not that Manning hated Hellboy, it's just that they did not see eye to eye because of their jobs. Hellboy got the dangerous part and I have the administrative one.

'At first, I thought that he was just a dog train to do a few trick that you could sick on the rabid mongrels out there and call heel whenever I liked'. But it wasn't. 'Since Hellboy saved my life, I began to see him in a new light, he's a person just like every other agents under my command. I know of all the thing that plagued him and since the day he left on the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, I got even more time to think about them. Heck for a time I thought that it was best for them to live their own life. ((But it made ours like a living hell!))

'Oh, shut up ! Well I think I did a pretty good job when I secretly send that report on the Vatican to Krauss. It was just what he needed to go and convince them. ((I'm a regular Weyoun.))

'Now that he's back, I'll be able to breath a little. I'll finally repay him. I'm gonna help the three of them with all I got! ... If only he wasn't so hard to approach! It's not like I wanted to leave him to die but I needed to consider every possibility ... I could not risk the lives of all mankind like that. I could not make plan fast enough, there's rules and protocol to follow. Well, I am the rule around and things are going to change.' ((Tom Manning is on the case!))

I fidget with my tie while waiting for the plane to come to a stop. I lean toward the chief executive of the board. "I knew he would return. I tell you, when Tom manning is on the case, things get done." ((Yes, that's a good show of my authority.))

And every agents standing behind Manning rolled their eyes.

* * *

The ramp accosted the plane and the door opened. The first one to step out was Abraham Sapien. He strolled down the stairs with an unreadable expression on his face. Not something that's really hard to achieve in his case since he got a fish face. He's one of the best in the Bureau when it come to conceal emotions and would do a killing at the weekly poker night in the storage rooms of the sector B3. Well, that changed since Krauss got here. You **CAN'T **beat a poker face like that and the guy from internal affair believes he's cheating, but he suspects everyone, professional de-formation I guess.

The second was Elisabeth Sherman. Gone were the skin tight pants with the Kevlar jacket, they made place to more appropriate pregnancies clothing. She decided to keep her hair short and was still wearing her cross pendent. She was of those women who embellished in pregnancy and was almost glowing. Well, she would probably seem glowing if she wasn't shimmering with annoyance. The flight has apparently aggravated her mood and seemed to be ready to bite off the head of anyone who might point it out to her. The only fitting comparison would be a growling rottweiler that just came back from a very unpleasant visit to the vet only to find the accursed mailman on it's territory ... Oh! and it breath fire.

Next, was the ectoplasmic Johann Krauss, their expert medium who manage to convince the stranded trio to open negotiation. He descended the ramp with few hisses from his brown suit and loud clanks from his boots. Nothing ever changed much about him, except for his mood and the patterns of the wrinkle on his suit. He immediately made his way toward the welcoming comity but his approach was ignored in favour of the figure emerging from the plane.

There he was, the red horned giant who needed to pass sideway in the door. He disembark from the metal bird like a would be roman conqueror who didn't need an armour to simulate a six pack. He was the same as the day he quit the force, wearing only his boots, leather pant and BPRD coat. His posture was a little constrain as if he knew that he's going to deal with a situation as unpleasant as having to deal with the neighbour who blasting death metal at two in the morning and if doesn't shut it, it's gonna get ugly.

Not he cowering dog they were expecting, coming home with his tail between his legs like they hoped, begging to be taken back. This really unsettled them. The proof that they didn't knew him as well as they thought. Manning was not impressed, having dealt with him more often than the other member of the administrating staff that seldom met him.

The only thing that betrayed Hellboy nervousness was the slight twitch in his tail. Only his closest friends knew about it. Or so he thought, after all he never found out how the guys at poker night always seem to know when he held a good hand.

"Mister Manning, agent Krauss reporting", he said with a salute. "The ex-agents Hellboy, Sherman and Sapien are now here to negotiate their reinstitution in the rank of the BPRD, as you ordered sir."

"Thank you Krauss," turning toward the wayward agents "and in the name of the BPRD, I would like to welcome you all back to the agency" expressed Manning in his most official voice.

"We're not back yet," cut Hellboy's gruff voice. "As far as I know nothing's been signed or officionalized, right ?"

"Yes, of course!"

They were starring at each others not really in defiance but more in acknowledgement of each other. Both had more than they wished on their plates and the diner was about to begin. They at least understood that from each other.

"Well, I'm sure that your journey was a long and tiring one. I would like to invite everyone in the conference room after our guess have refresh themselves, let's say ... in two hours. Your old lodging are at your disposition. Members of the staff will be escorting you, their presence is deplorable but necessary under the circumstances." said Manning in a hurry thus stopping the prostrations of an administrator about the use of the facility ((The fool is obviously not a negotiator)).

Manning knew that a good negotiator, like a good orator, brings is audience in a comfortable situation were they fell relaxed. He didn't want to pressure them into accepting term they did not feel comfortable with. No, he needed to make them come back in the boat by their own accord. After their return, we will be able to worry about other things and they will be more willing to listen. He knew that, it was his job after all.

"Hellboy" he said before the other left "would you come to my office. Alone."

That slightly surprised Hellboy because as far as he knew, Manning had always tried to meet him with other people around. None the less he accepted, after giving a reassuring squeeze to Liz's hand, he followed Manning.

* * *

Hellboy rarely went into the director's office, not that he dislike the place, it's just that most of the interaction he had with Manning were held in the 'workplace' of the Bureau, such as the conference room, the labs, the armoury, etc. ...

Professor Broom was particularly fond of the library when it came to dispatching missions. Every team leaders were given files and debriefed about the upcoming assignments while sitting in the comfy couches and recliners. Manning often complained about the lack of tables like in a real conference room and would ask just as often why they didn't use one, after all that's what a conference room is for. As usual, his father would answer in a cryptic fashion that annoyed the hell out Manning. When Hellboy ask him why, he told him that the informal setting help relax the atmosphere and promoted a felling of familiarity and companionship amongst the agents. After the professor's death, the library returned to it's primary use.

Thinking about this father brought a pang of pain in his chest. Two years and a half and he still missed him. The pride he would have felt to present him with grand-children ... he rapidly shoved those thoughts aside, for now was not the time for reminiscence but to face the present.

They entered the office closing the door behind them, leaving a slack jawed secretary sitting at her desk. A pretty young brunette that Hellboy didn't recognise, apparently new judging from her reaction. She was probably named Janine or something along those lines. Hellboy saw a lot of secretaries passing through the administration and in general he never bothered to learn their name. They all sounded the same anyway.

* * *

Our no-life trans-dimensional omniscient being was/is/will still watching Manning's office. Time and location are irrelevant when you're omniscient. It's like an employee watching a crappy webcam live reality show on is computer to make his boss think he's working. He doesn't give a shit that he should be working and wish to be elsewhere rather than being stuck here watching this crap. Being omniscient is like that but you also have to watch the intro, the development, the ending, the credits, the bloopers and that $#!+¥ making-of, where all the cast says what they where thinking, feeling and what their motivation was, when you know full well that their career is never gonna get past the lousy commercial, B-movie and porno, which you know, is playing on the other channel and that you would much rather watch the porno. But you can't, because the boss installed a filter on the internet. So you're stuck watching crap and that's why our see/know it all is looking at Manning's office, it's really sad actually. Next time you see your omniscient friend, show him your support and appreciation for his work, thank you.

Back in the room with our two protagonist, we can see Manning reclining in his chair pinching the bridge of his nose. Hellboy could see all the stress and the fatigue the director was hiding earlier and he seem to be muttering something to himself. He look up at Hellboy and straighten himself up, the moment of weakness had pass. Hellboy understood that he was allowed to witness it, after all it is not something you show to your enemies. It was some kind of white flag asking for a cease fire. Hellboy was uncomfortable with the notion, having considered the other man like a nuisance for so long. He tried to cover his discomfort by responding to the flag by adopting a more relax posture and stop scolding like a tiger that's eyeing another male who loitering just over the limit of it's territory.

'Ok, you want to talk, I'll listen', thought Hellboy.

Manning was still staring at Hellboy, like a man who went through a lot troubles and clearly had blame the one standing in front of him for it, but now he's gone past wanting to put the blame anyone realising how pointless it is.

Hellboy send him a glance that meant : At the time I wanted you to go trough all that and now that I've seen your kicked down face I kindda feel bad, but I'm not going to apologize for it.

Manning responded in a similar fashion : I'm not expecting you too but I'm now considering that might not be such a bad idea to ...

That got him a stern glare from Hellboy that clearly said : Ok, say it and I'm going back to "make a Picasso out of your face" mode.

"Your depart wasn't easy ((Ok, I sound like we're a divorced couple)). Numbers of problems arose, as you surely know, and we are still dealing with your ... new exposure to the public. The crisis with the Golden Army was averted but those that fallowed ... were harder to deal with once you were gone", Manning said uncertain and clearly weighting his words.

Hellboy cross his arms and shift his weight onto his other leg in a motion that invited Manning to continue.

"The situation escalated to the point where I can't damper the damage anymore. We need the machine to go smoothly again or the consequences will be disastrous."

'Translation', Hellboy thought, 'it's getting out of hand and you risk to lose your job. And if you loose your job, it's equals trouble for us, isn't it ? You're a bastard but you're also the only one who won't stab us in the back. You may be a bastard but you're one with a conscience. You owe me your life you intend to pay me back in your own way. Ok bastard, show me what you got.'

"There's always been peoples who disapproved and opposed our policies regarding various issues and threats we deal with regularly." Continued Manning. "And those who are more radical have begun to conglomerate their position and some of the other parties are inclining toward them in view of the recent event. ((Bunch of suckass xenophobes. I'm may be scare of him but I don't hate him for what he is. I just resent him for the half bottle of Pepto-Bismol I take every day.))

"If we don't reassure the indecisive ones and sway them back in our good grave, I fear the outcome. After what some of the scientists suggested ..." said Manning with an unconscious shiver at the thought.

"I realized now, that having such elements in our own team is undermining our position but can't not fire them on the account that we don't like how they think. They are still the best in their field and we need them on a daily basis ((If we could do that, all the assholes would have been given the boot a long time ago))."

Hellboy stop himself from pointing out that Manning would probably have been amongst of the first one out.

"But we can shut up those, those ... fanatical bigots and scalpel-happy white coats and put them in their place."

Hellboy raised an eyebrow at that. It was rare to see Manning this passionate about something. He wondered what they did to reel him like that.

"But ... I can't do it alone." Manning said deflating. "If you and the others go there alone they'll swarm you with laws, rules and restrictions, you won't even be able to breathe. I know it won't work, you live to break the rules, you can't help it. The difference with them will be the consequences and I don't want to be a part of what they are planning ((I won't))."

Manning paused at that.

"I want to work with you so that I can regain my credibility with the higher ups and put an end to the panic. The world doesn't turn correctly without us and I feel that it is my responsibility to ensure that the agents under my jurisdiction can do their jobs without someone throwing a wrench in the gears. So if some of my agents find themselves under threats, it is my duty to make sure that they don't end up their back to a corner.

"It's how I see it, but for that we need to put aside our differences for now. They would certainly use the fact that we don't always see eye to eye as an excuse to replace me if we argue in front of them. It would benefits us both if we'd agreed to act civilize toward each others for the time of the negotiations ?"

Hellboy could not have been more flabbergasted, well perhaps if Manning would have start to Riverdance in a pink tutu on hot coals. Hellboy his a lot of things and one of them is being good at reading between the lines. Seeing underneath the underneath of peoples. Behind all that selfish obnoxious speech there was the only thing that he never thought he would hear from Manning : an apology. In his awkward and twisted way, Manning was apologizing. It would probably take a crowbar to pry more out of him and even death threats would not make him admit it but Manning was trying to make it up to him the best he can.

Hellboy did not came here today with the intention of getting an apologies, official or not. Today, Manning just gave Hellboy the best reason to trust him. Their feud is far from over and as soon as the negotiation will be over the white flags will be forgotten, but right now it didn't matter, Hellboy had agree to help him.

At that Manning respond, "Good, you can tell the others, we'll begin shortly".

He take his phone and dial is secretary. "Kathleen, remind everyone they are expected in the conference room at four." He took a pause as Hellboy exit his office, "And get me a cappuccino."

* * *

One could describe the next few hours of negotiation as a game of chess where two masters played not with pieces but with carefully chosen words. The verbal jousting of two knights dancing around each others. The pawns of arguments crashing against the others defences in hope to make it the queen of all reasons. Bishops articles are slide in between the lines of the contract to corner the king of absolute control only to realize that he just been rooked. In the end the two masters realized that they were facing off a worthy adversary and felt content, whether they win or lose.

BULL. SHIT.

It was a re-enactment of World War One in there. It was messy, every one was bitching, not wanting to give an inch of terrain and many were real close to insult someone's mother. After each battles they were left battered, wounded but mostly bitter and angry. Some of the arguments went as followed.

* * *

If you would be happening to stand right outside the room, you would be able to tell that things weren't going all that well when Hellboy's voice was making itself being heard in a very loud fashion.

"You can take your crappy exigencies on your crappy paper on shove it up your crap hole !"

And then you know that thing where going really bad when …

"¥øų /!++/3 ρ!3‹3 ø∫ $#!+"

… when it was Abe that was heard swearing.

And of course there were those who tried to calm thing down.

"If I could just say …" began Krauss, only to be cut in a most rude manner by both parties. "Shut up !"

* * *

Because they've skip dinner (and second dinner in Hellboy's case), everyone became a bit cranky. Kathleen, Manning's secretary, had the glorious idea to bring a few boxes of donuts for the group, thinking it would help … bad move. Especially when two persons on opposite side of the board decided they wanted the last of the jelly donut. The previous talk were noting in comparison, neither would back down and saw other's insistence as a mortal insult … at least until someone said something he shouldn't have.

* * *

Liz was left alone sitting on charred remain of what was once a chair glairing at the wall. The inferno she was, made a sauna feel like a freezer. Meanwhile, the others were huddled outside the room, carefully checking if it was safe to come back or if they should stick to cover. Hellboy lower himself toward the lawyer who was trying to extinguish his smouldering toupée. "You had to say something about her weight, didn't you ?".

* * *

After a few hours, lots of coffee, some snide remark about someone sexual preferences, just as many comeback about somebody's mother and litres of sweat ((Miss. solar flare toasted the ventilation damn it !)) they manage to come to an agreement … and a new chair.

"Ok, lets go over the principal points one last time before we finish this", said uninteresting lawyer number one as the others agreed to his suggestion, wanting to get this over with once and for all. "First, the ex-agents Hellboy, Elizabeth Sherman and Abraham Sapien return to the BPRD will be without any reprimands, punishments and/or sanctions. From now on, all agents who desire to quit and/or retire will have to pass trough the proper channels and sign all the legal documents."

"Next, special agent Sapien will receive the status of honorary human", continued uninteresting lawyer number two.

"The agents Hellboy and Sapien will receive a salary along with all of their previous accommodations. Agent Sherman will keep the wage she had before and will have right to a maternity leave." Specified a female consultant that seem somewhat pleased that women's right were upheld. Contrary of the others, this one was interesting, because no pretty woman in her late-twenties that wear such a short skirt with legs like that can't be uninteresting.

Lawyer number two took back the speech, "To follow on that line, personal requests such as remote control drapes for agent Sapien's aquarium for greater intimacy. A non-armoured door for the living quarters of the agents Hellboy and Sherman as a sign of trust. ((Good, it's gonna cost a lot less to change the door when our local Osborn have a spite. Even if I buy those thing in bulk they still cost more than a Ferrari, for [#я!$+ $4ж3)), along with a separate bathroom for agent Sherman."

"On a more important matter" said lawyer number one, who's also the juridic advisor of the Bureau, "The contract stipulate that no experiment whatsoever shall be performed on the children unless of a medical emergency. Also the BPRD commit itself to protect the present and future children of all special agents working for the BPRD from any physical and psychological harm."

The director of human resources, now known as 'burned toupée', took speech on the matter, "The children will be under the jurisdiction of the parents. But considering the nature of the children they will stay at the BPRD's facilities until their majority. They can leave the premises under the supervisions a parent and/or tutors and followed by a discrete escort of agents.

"The children shall be provided with food, lodging and education up to a high school degree until their majority. If eventually they choose to work for the BPRD, they shall receive all benefits that come with the title of agent. If they opt for a civilian life, the BPRD will help in the finding of proper lodging, employment and/or further education in any field."

"The said majority of the children shall be determined by both their physical and psychological growth." continued lawyer number one.

"On to another topic, there will be an increase in the number of special agents. BPRD will be on look-out for any possible recruit, thus augmenting the number of agents at it's disposition." fallowed lawyer number two. "While, we doubt the cost effectiveness of this endeavour, we happen to know of some elements that are under our _care_ that could prove useful to us. Normally, such elements wouldn't be cooperative but I'm sure that the agent Hellboy would be able to convince them, wouldn't you ?"

Hellboy could only glare at the coy smile and his tone of voice that seem to imply something. Just the type of guy that one would wish to shut up ... with a stick ... in is face.

"We already have a list of such individual, that we believe could be an asset." cut the interesting councillor.

"Err... yes", continued the director of human resources. "The composition of the new teams will be left to the director of field operation Miss. Corrigan and to you agent Hellboy in capacity of team leader. If help is required, an assistant shall be put to your disposition.

"The agent Hellboy will also receive the privilege to recruit candidate directly on the field and will be given the opportunity screen the reports of sighting and captures for possible recruitment. The board will reserve itself the right to screen every application and will have a right of veto on who makes it on the main team."

"I'm sure you will", replied Hellboy with displeasure.

Liz and Krauss promptly kicked him in the shin under the table. It was an important point and they didn't want Hellboy's temper to blow it up again.

"Well, we seem to have brush all of the important points. The details are in the contract and if there is no other litigations that need to be addressed, I say we sign this and conclude this meeting." said the boring lawyer number one while applying is signature before passing the contract to Manning.

Once Manning put is griff on it, it to Liz and Abe. The contract slowly continued is round before ending in front of Hellboy and as he was about to put pen to paper, he pause seeming to remember something important.

"What about the badge ?" he ask.

"Yes, you'll have your badge", responded Manning, who was inwardly rolling his eyes, having dealt with this question for many years now. ((Just sign the damn thing already. You got what you wanted. Hurry ! Hurry! Hurry! I want to get out of here. We've been sitting in here for hour. God, I need to take a shit. Sign it ! Sign it ! Sign it ! SIGN IT !))

Satisfied, Hellboy finally put is signature, thus concluding a long evening.

Hellboy turn toward Abe and Liz and said, "Why do I feel that I'm the one who signed with the devil ?"

* * *

And for what you've all been waiting for : Author Note *^_^*

From Bookeater : Ouf! Sorry it took so long. I promise more action soon. See ya in the next chapter.

From Shiroyuki : Hi everybody ! Hi doctor Nick!

Sorry, about that, it's just that I always wanted to say that *^_^*

Yes, it took us a while before getting this chapter done, but I guess that what happen when we get together to work on this only once a week. DAMN YOU LIFE FOR GETTING IN THE WAY OF GREAT ART. (I shouldn't be exaggerating like u_u it's not good for the ego.)

Ok enough, about me let's go back to the fic.

Bookeater and I put a hint about Manning's secret passion and if you can find it ... you get a COOKIE *^_^*

Oh, and review are always welcome.

See ya *^_^*


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer : Hellboy doesn't belong to us *^_^*

Rating : M just to be safe because eventually we'll have some scene of violence and because eventually we'll be dealing with mature subject matter.

Oh! and before I forget, this is "talking", this is 'thinking' and this is _talking in foreign language._

Have a pleasant read.

Hellboy - A place to belong

Chapter 3

Awkward is probably the best word to describe the present situation. You know, when you can't pinpoint the correct feeling and when nobody knows really what to say. Peoples keep turning around the subjects ... that was the kind of situation that Hellboy and the others lived last night. Awkward, really. How does one act when peoples come back to the place where they used to both live and work and when how they quit was like : "screw you, sons of bitches ! and sayonara losers !". Especially, when they return with pride and ... a promotion and/or privileges, when they were not expected to return at all. Awkward.

So, how does one act ? Like nothing happened ? Well, that's what many choose to do, awkward ...

The trip to their living quarter was without incident but often punctuated with things like : "Hey, Joe how's it going ?" "Mark, buddy how are ... Mark. Mark! Must not have heard me." "Suzan, my look at you ... The kid in 3rd grade? Great. We're expecting too ... No, not me, Liz." "Hey! Hum, err ... Math? Steve? Larry? Oh ... it's Garry ... sorry." "Gilles! ... Doing great? ... The fifty bucks I owe ya? Err ..."

I suppose you ask yourselves why the heck are there so many peoples around at two in the morning? Well, they ask themselves the same question? They had almost forgotten what it's like to work around the clock. After five month of following your own schedule, returning to the 24/7 routine of the BPRD was going to be hell.

The evening (well morning actually, unless you are one of those who had yet to sleep) was an awkward one and was getting worse by the second as a figure was stomping toward the trio. When they spotted the threat, it was already to late to back paddle. Like a shark that smelt blood, she was onto them.

A small but albeit well built woman in her mid-thirties was zeroing on Hellboy and his group and ... boy did she look pissed. She was probably one of the only people the main team considers a friend amongst the BPRD's staff and they dreaded the confrontation, because Kate Corrigan got a bone to pick with them.

The blond short haired woman is a troll specialist and the BPRD's director of field operations, she got her post after the passing of Professor Broom because she treats everyone without any discrimination.

The main reason why she wasn't around during their dealing with the golden army, was because she was leading a long term mission in Czech Republic concerning the east-European troll population. Not only she hasn't been informed but also she only had reports and second hand telling of the discovery of the troll market.

Did we mentioned that she was a troll specialist. She is literally nuts about them. No, not that way ... Ewww! But she's fascinated by everything about them. Finding the New York troll market would have been the highlight of her career … and she missed it. When our three protagonists realized that they didn't contacted her, they knew for sure that she was going to red … the color not the guy, well him too but later.

And despite being the best of friends, they kind of … never kept in touch after their departure.

Kate is not usually someone who get angry easily. She's a pretty level headed woman actually. But when you start her off …

That's why the trio suddenly found the ground really interesting (the ceiling in this case of Hellboy because starring at the ground right now would have mean looking directly in the eye of Kate who was standing only inches away of Hellboy, glaring successively at the three of them).

Fist on her hips, tapping her foot she ask : "So ?"

Damn those walls are fascinating. Is that concrete gray or cement gray?

"You guys needed to find the troll market, one of the most notorious troll gathering in North America. Of which the locations of the entrances of one those markets happen to be a closely guarded secret. Market that, may I remind you, I have been searching for years ... and you didn't even **call me**! But no, you had to follow the first new comer with a pretty shiny gizmo, and you had find the damn thing too. You could have waited for me, I was only two hours of plane away … noooo … and to add insult to injury, you did something even more incredible, you ENTER THE TROLL MARKET! Just like that! You could have at least brought me some decent video footage. I don't even have that, just an audio recording and some flimsy reports full of holes, that totally lack all the crucial details that I need for my thesis", she says, really stressing that point.

She was punctuating her speech with wide arms movement. "I understand the situation was precarious and all, but what do you guy do? You quit! Just like that. I only first learn it trough rumors that you've quit. Do you have any idea how worried I was ? You didn't leave me any messages, send me letters or even a call! I tough we had a more deep relationship than that guys, that it wasn't just … just work you see", she exclaimed clearly distraught.

"I had to get the detail from a pompous snobbish Dutch jerk who had the nerve to snatch my discovery before me. Real nice guys, I feel really appreciated here."

She sounded upset again. An uncomfortable silence installed itself as Kate drilled holes in them with her eyes. By now they did not have much wall surfaces left to inspect.

It was Abe that made the mistake to speak first.

"Um … Kate … I ... we um … er…"

"Face or liver?", she said turning toward him.

"Euh… What?"

"Face or liver?", she insisted.

Finally, he catch on. "Ho… liver" he said deflating, knowing there was no escape.

Without any hesitation, before anyone could say anything Kate pounded one an impressive punch in Abe guts for someone her size. Well, Abe's liver wasn't really at the same spot than that of a human but it still hurt enough for him to doubled over.

Turning sharply toward Hellboy, she did not even have to ask.

"Liver." He replied

She put probably as much effort in it than with Abe, but you could not help imagining the squeaking sound, like that of a rubber toy, the tiny punch should have made on the red giant as if it was a cartoon. He still did mimic being hurt thought, to spare her feeling.

And finally, she faced Liz with her mouth shut in such a thin line that you could use as a rulers, clenching her fist at her side (she would never admit it but her hand hurt after punching the boys. Damn them and their rock like abs). Liz began to fidget, uncomfortable under the intense stare, not knowing if she would get punch too or not. She was about to say something when Kate beat her to it.

"You …" Her eyes began to tear up and she suddenly pull Liz in an embrace, surprising the later. "If you weren't pregnant you would get it too, you hear me? Do you know how worried I was about all of you?"

Finally snapping out of it, Liz returned the embrace smiling, tears threatening to spill.

"I missed you, too."

"I really would have like it if you called me, or send a letter at least." she said pulling back a little to check all the change that happened to her friend while she was on 'leave'. "Look at you, how many months are you along?" You could feel that she was eager to embark on the subject.

"Five months now." Liz answered, holding her stomach a smile on her lips.

"You realize that I wont let you go like that, especially with the stunt you pulled, don't you?" She replied. "I've only learn of your pregnancy through second hand rumors, so I won't forgive you until you let me organize your shower." Making Liz even more nervous in dreads of what an excited Kate have in plan.

While the night was ebbing away, reuniting friend under a starry … err … an armed concrete ceiling, two more levels and a bit of dirt who's probably lying under a starry sky filled with the smoke from New Jersey's factories.

Thank you Kate, coming home isn't so awkward anymore.

* * *

The weary couple managed to get to their apartment. Nothing seemed to have been touch much, just enough that Manning probably send someone once in a while to dust thing up and clean the mess that a bunch of cats can do. In general, every things seemed to be in order if not for the distinctive odor of ammoniac that tell the cats were mostly left on their own.

Talking of the monsters, they noticed that it wasn't the time when the feeders or the cleaners usually come. When they recognized their old roommates, their reaction varied greatly.

Some ran to Hellboy clearly happy to see him again, asking for petting or food or both. Other came to greet him and then they began sulking, indicating what they thought they were abandon. And the others just ignored them as if they were furniture moving around.

Liz smiled at the sight of Hellboy crouching, trying to pet everyone at the same time, smiling like a kid on Christmas Eve.

* * *

Abraham Sapien was back in shorts and was about to dip in his water tank. The cleanest of continuously filtered water. The smell of perfectly oxygenated and stirred H2O. The right temperature… and more importantly…

Abe stretch his limbs as far as he can.

"Hhnngggk … kk … aaah …" he sigh.

Space!

* * *

Everybody slept in that morning (not Manning, he can work on coffee and twisted nerves, apparently) and it took a few moment to a still tired Hellboy to remember that he wasn't in England anymore and that he had to get up because Liz and him have a lot of things to do. But not before coffee and breakfast … hum ? Well, maybe lunch instead due to the time it was. As he was stirring to get the will to pass to a vertical position, Liz sprang up and hurried to the bathroom, beating him to it, has usual. She began to develop that peculiar habit when she started to live with him. She said it took him too long to grind horns and the smell of smoking grinded frontal protuberance did not fit well with her in the morning. Plus, she does not want to go while he is there, being kind of shy about it.

As he put his hooves down on the floor, he heard something he did not hear in quite some time. It sounded like something small and cute, something that got woken up at the same time as him, apparently. He bend down and looked under the bed. There they were in the darkness … five little balls of fluff staring at him in wonder. He must have been too tired last night to heard them. Now that he recall it, some of the cats seemed smaller than the others and they're are more of them too … Two new batch of kittens since he was gone… Liz gonna strangle him. She already tough there is to many of them. Better leave them there and act like you don't know anything. And when she'll find them … How could anyone resist such cuteness?

* * *

Back in the library Abe woke up. Blinking once or twice, he remembered where he was and smile.

'Oh! And why not, just for the heck of it.' he tough.

Again, he stared to stretch as far as his limbs could reach, until a small cracking sound was heard followed be a discrete 'pop' and a satisfied sigh.

"Hnnggggns" crack, pop "Aaaah!"

More space. Oh! Yeah!

* * *

Doctor John Fraiser, has been an obstetrician for about thirty-five years, he was considered one of the best in the country but he's mostly renowned for he's discretion. A few more years and he will be savoring his retirement playing golf and going on cruise in Caribbean with his wife.

So it was with little surprise, when some month ago, two men dressed in black suit with sun glasses turned up suddenly in his office asking if he would take care of a patient for them.

'Probably some celebrity or politician who wants to do things quietly', he thought.

It wasn't the fist time he was ask to deal with cases like these, he knew the routine. But things got a little odder when the strangers said that they didn't know when he would be called.

'Did they loose the mother or what?'

Still, he was paid in advance to be ready anytime and to ensure that their case took priority over the others. When he started to argue about the actual feasibility of ditching his other patients for theirs, more money came to close the debate. Odder still was when they said that they wouldn't bring the patient to his clinic but that he would be taken to the mother where she will be waiting with all the necessary equipments. While all the secrecy began to make him feel nervous, the fat pay check given to him was enough to quell some of inquietudes.

About four months later, on a morning like so many others, Doctor Fraiser received another visit from the two men in black. This time, it was to tell him that he had an hour to pack and to come with them. So after he calmed his wife, packed the bare essentials and canceled his appointments for the next three days, he boarded a plane in direction of New York, once there he was hurried in a black van with tainted windows.

His nervousness started to creep up when they started to approach a none descript governmental building. While he didn't really know where he was, he was sure that it wasn't somewhere you would usually encounter a pregnant woman for a check-up. He had really serious doubts about the hole thing but when the floor lowered and began to unveiled some kind of secret base that he started to panic a little. Who exactly did they want him to examine? The hole thing was getting to complicated to his taste, especially after he saw something big slithering around the corner at the edge of his vision.

When he heard some of the world most bestial scream, he almost turned on his heels and run away. He would have done it too if it weren't for the look in the eyes of the goons surrounding him telling him that such a maneuver would be a very bad idea ... slightly due to the fact that the platform was now making it's way back up and that it was to late to get back on it.

'John, I think you just took a bigger bite that you can chew.'

He was presented to a certain Mr. Manning, a man almost his age that seem to be the one in charge around here. On their way to the medical facilities, Manning explained that due to the nature of the parents they needed all of these precautions and he insisted again over the need for silence about this whole thing. He also expressed the risk of the infants might not be 'normal' due to their father ethnicity.

'What the hell? Now the things are going down strait to bizarre. Wait a minute … didn't I saw a big "51" on the door before? As in "area 51" … oh! my God, they want me to auscultate an alien baby!'

Manning did not notice the panic on Dr. Fraiser's face as he turns to look at the peoples who follow them into the infirmary.

"Ah! Right on time, Dr. Fraiser I would like you to meet Hellboy and … Dr. Fraiser? Dr. Fraiser!"

* * *

'Once I regained consciousness, I found myself laying on my back staring at the light fixture. From the familiar smell of a sterilized room and medical supplies I guessed that I was still in the infirmary. Well now, I know that waking from a fainting spell is not quite the same thing as waking from when you're asleep, may be it's due to the fact that everything shut down at the same time. Oh boy, I can't believe I just fainted like a sissy and to say that I was one of the guys who had fun at expense of those who felt queasy at the sight of a corpse in med school. I even saw many new fathers fainted while their spouse was in labor, it made for couples of good jokes at new year eve party. And now, I am the one who turned the eyes, bet I even got more gray hairs because of it. My wife already telling me that they're more salt than pepper, boy I'm getting to old for this. I really should get up and get going …'

Suddenly Dr. Faiser jerked up remembering why he fainted in the first place, startling up a nurse in the process. She called the doctor on duty who check on him, then he made a call, turns out it was to Mr. Manning. The first thing he did as entered the room was offering his most flat apologies as they are more used to deal with disbelief than fear before he began detailing the nature of Hellboy. Dr. Fraiser already knew the rumors about the red devil that work of the government but he dismissed it as sensationalism … and besides it was in New York, far from home so it didn't concern him.

'Wow it's unbelievable, my head is still spinning because of it, they chose me to care for the unborn children of a demon. They said that I'm a perfect man for it and that it's not the first time the BPRD request external help when it come to the health and safety of their peoples. I just need to do my job and keep my mouth shut about something that has never been witnessed or recorded in modern human history. So it's nothing, right? In truth I'm scare out of my mind but it's a once in a life time opportunity, I guess my curiosity is getting the better of me. And now to meet the parents … again. Oh I must be nut, I tell you.'

* * *

"And now, we can see … euh … I think it's a tail. Yep, it's a tail …"

I was worried over nothing it seems. Everything went fine and as far as I can tell both the mother and the children are in good health. The twins appear to be human enough : two normal arms, two normal legs unlike their father. It always a pleasure to announce to the expecting parents the gender of their children, they tend to get so excited and get carried way with project and everything. I once got a couple that had planned every little details about their daughter's future up to what degree she was going to get at Stanford … they had quite high expectation for their child, not that most parent don't have great expectations for their children but some tend to go overboard with these things. This must be the third most often approached subject between the parents in my office.

So when I told them than they were going to have a boy and a girl, they got ecstatic and immediately started on the first of the most talked about subject : how are they going to decorate the babies room. I swear it's like this six times out of ten.

As continued with the ultrasound, I glanced at father's face and I realize that no matter what a loving father is always looking in wonder at the first images of his children, whatever species the father is. They may not be the run of the mills Joe and Jane but I think they're going to do just right.

* * *

Liz woke up the next day, still tired due to the jet lag. While, it was six in the morning her body kept telling her that it was noon and there's nothing more frustrating then wanting to sleep but being utterly unable too. So she was tired, it is an understatement to say that she's in a bad mood. She looked grumpy, she sounded grumpy, she felt grumpy, heck she probably even smelt grumpy before she took her shower. Now all she had to do was to get to the bathroom before Hellboy because he tend to take forever to finish and beside she likes to have some privacy. Oh that second bathroom … she dreamt of it for months now. Her things, no sharing, she would be able to take all the time in world, not having to hurry because someone had to go. Somewhere clean with no left over beard or horn filling in the sink. Paradise.

Yesterday, after her meeting with Doctor Fraiser, Hellboy and her had lunch then met with the contractor in charge of the renovation. They were showed some plan, express what they wished for, exchange ideas and where told the final plan would be ready the next evening and have a better estimate on the duration of the work but for now they believed that if they work around the clock it should be done in about a week. Ty Pennington, the contractor, said that he never did such an extreme makeover to an apartment before.

So today, they needed to pack and move of their belonging either into storage or to their temporary lodging. It was fun to get back to their possessions. All the things they missed while in England and now to get everything into boxes before the demolishing crew were schedule to begin. The BPRD is effective like that, a mix of readiness and competence with a touch of insanity that made them seem ready for anything. But right now, all Liz wants is to stay in bed and procrastinate a little longer, those five months in England made her lazy, too long of a vacation. Not that she didn't have anything to do, far from it. It is merely that being a housewife for nearly five month made her realized that an entirely 'normal' life wasn't really made for her. She missed the excitement that being a field agent brought to her life, even though she'll never really admit it. Now being in maternity leave meant no work on the terrain, which was not a bad thing in it self since she didn't feel like working today. But she still had a lot to do, in fact she felt it was going to be a long day.

It began with the breakfast with Hellboy fussing over what they were eating. No, more like he's fussing over what she's eating. More than once she had to keep him from running to the kitchen and pester the cook for more fruits or to stop bothering her because she's taking one cup of coffee during the day. She knows he wants to help and appreciate the attention but it's been five months and he still fussing over every little things no matter what Abe and Liz are telling him. And if he hands her over another kiwi, she's going to shove it up his nose, broil it and if he still insist she's gonna make sure that he never going to sees a grapefruit in the same way ... ever.

After breakfast, they went back to their room and began packing, there was a lot to do before the movers came in. She almost regretted the fact that she didn't start last evening, at least then the week worth of clothes and the others necessities would have already been good to go and then, she would only have to worry about the rest. But it didn't matter now, it was something that needed to be done and she knew she couldn't count on HellBOY to do it.

'Men', she thought, 'they shove everything that's still clean in a satchel and "voilà". Hurg.' Even for short term mission she took the time to fold everything nicely and to keep place in her luggage so that her clothes wouldn't come out has a bundle of wrinkles. And also it was the best way to make sure she didn't forget anything.

After the bare necessities were taken care of, she began to pack what was left of her belongings. About three hours later she was done and Hellboy was still at it. She realized that even if they were still living separately, he still would have four time as much things to move than her. Maybe it's due to the fact that Hellboy lived for a long time now and that he have the he accumulated so much stuff but deep down she knew that he's a hoarder, he never throws away anything.

But the real reason behind Hellboy's lack of packing, was that he had to take care of his cats. He didn't like the idea of them spending a week into cages but they needed to be moved too. Those that had accepted his return didn't cause any trouble but for the other, he had to play hide and seek. He found quite a few of them hidden under the bed, behind the sofa or on top of bookshelf, but the real problems came with those who ran away or fought back, not that they could really hurt him.

After she was done with her things, it was time to help Hellboy. So she entered their apartment with a green garbage bag warning him that everything he absolutely wishes to keep should be in boxes by the time she's done picking up the garbage (which give him a few hours to do so). Thing that could have been done a lot faster if Hellboy didn't spend most his time making sure she wouldn't throw away any of his stuff, which she did anyway, like that ratty pair of brief that couldn't even be used as a fishnet.

'Hum, I wonder what Abe's doing right about now? Wasn't he suppose to come help us?' thought Liz.

* * *

Ty Pennington decided to send his carpenters to the library first, seeing that's Abe's demand was the simplest to execute. It took them from morning to noon to install the drape and the electric system controlling it. Now, Abe was standing outside of his tank changing the books for his daily reading.

'Oh, the pleasure to contemplate the pages of some of the grand masterpiece of literature. All the books he would never read,' he thought.

During the five months that he was in England, the only things he had to read were the books of the previous owner of the cottage, those that Liz rented for him at the local public library, the news papers and various magazines. For some time, his only intellectual stimulations, beside the books, were the telly with only five channels, the occasional chess game with the others and his sometime unsuccessful try in various arts and craft. Sometime, he believed his brain would rot. And now, because of his peculiar memory, he knows an entire season of Doctor Who, all of the latest gossip concerning Buckingham Palace and how to do fifty knighting projects. The only lessons an intellectual like Abe could really appreciate was how to really enjoy the simplest pleasure that life could offer.

"Open the drape. Close the drape. Open the drape. Close the drape. Open the drape. Close the ..." he kept muttering, smiling dumbly as he used the remote to his new automatic drapes that were install in front of his tank.

Hopefully, the after-effects are not permanent.

* * *

Quite later that same evening, everything was packed, most of it was already put into storage and the movers were taking the last of boxes.

* * *

The following day, Hellboy, Liz and Abe were joined by Krauss in the library to inspect the extensive piles of files the BPRD have on peoples with paranormal powers, oddities and/or origins. On that you add files on the police, the military, the FBI, other government agency personnel already at there disposition and even files on prisoners.

And there's the historical archive of the BPRD and from all of their branches on the six continents. It's a good thing that the researchers that brought them the files pass through it first to cleansing it a little but was left was still an humongous amount of information to process. They'll need to go over it all, sort it and then decide what they need, how many and how to convince to work for the BPRD.

The thing is that not all of them are BPRD material. Some of the persons suggested were just too odd, too weak, too old, too young, too stupid, too useless or just too plain psycho. They really had to broaden the initial spectrum of their search. They wanted to get out of the ordinary boundaries for there new team members.

Hey! Ordinary. There's nothing ordinary in any of the subjects. Also, 'ordinary' is not a word used often to describe someone qualified to work for the BPRD.

And so, after a few hours of skimming through files it became apparent that they would not see the end of it anytime soon.

"We're not gonna see the end of it, are we?" ask Hellboy hidden behind a mountain of files.

What did we just tell you?

"Well, we did ask for everything they had in the archive." responded Abe ever the mediator.

"Yeah! but some of these are just stupid, I mean look, there's this guy who throws forks at criminals. Will you look at his get-up! He calls himself the Blue Rajah." said a disbelieving Hellboy. "He doesn't have any blue on his costume."

"He throws forks? No powers at all?" ask Liz.

"Nothing.", he answered beck "He's just a vigilante with great accuracy and a lousy fashion sense. I bet he even fakes is English accent."

"That's nothing." replied Krauss, "I've another one here … let me find it … Ah!, there it is, he's another vigilante. I swear you Americans think that you can take the law into your own hands whenever you want. Anyway, this man here, goes around Manhattan hitting criminals with various sport equipments and wearing an ancient model of hockey mask, while yelling 'Goongala'."

"A sort of Wayne Gretzky on steroids and let me guess, he goes by the name of 'Sportman' and his power is to be good at any sports." joked Liz, thinking that if it were true, it would take the cake.

"Hum, it doesn't say." said Krauss, looking further into the files, "We don't have much info on this one. He may just have ended in the piles because of the numerous siting of him in company of some kind of giant green kung-fu lizards roaming around New York and there apparitions often coincide with the siting of ninjas … This is ridiculous, ninjas in New York. It is as if every wack jobs and bozos are attracted to this city."

"That's New York for ya." replied Hellboy not lifting his nose of his pile of work.

"Well, there's some non-powered case that have potential," countered Abe, "look at this one. John McClane, policeman with the NYPD, he almost single-handedly stop four terrorists attack, survived numbers of perilous situations, work great under pressure, ingenious and the character of a Pitbull. Here see for yourself."

Hellboy took the impressive report skimmed through it with Liz that read over his shoulder.

" … wow … he did all that? Bad ass. He's a die hard kind of guy, don't you think? He got the attitude we're searching for but he's getting older. I'm not sure how he would take all the supernatural stuff. No ... I think we should leave him to what he knows … and that way we won't have to worry about terrorists, right?"

"Yes, let's leave counter terrorism to NYPD instead of the CIA." replied a sarcastic Liz. Hellboy did remark that she was in one of her snapping today but he knew better than to point it out. Instead, he asked if she found any prospect amongst the possible non-powered agents.

"Maybe that guy," she proposed, "the name is John Rambo, ex-green-beret, expert in survival, weaponry, hand to hand combat, guerrilla warfare and he's also an helicopter pilot. He received many decorations : one medal of honor, two silver stars, four purple hearts, four bronze stars and the distinguish service cross. He lived in Vietnam after the war, he came back to the country recently."

"Hum, seems OK to me," commented Hellboy.

"Wait," intervened Abe, "did you just say that he was in Vietnam? How old is he?"

"62"

Everyone returned to their work with a displeased groan. Age was a factor for someone's dismissal, again. It was an arch reminder for Hellboy that he didn't age at the same rate as humans.

The search continued, file after file, candidate after candidate. A lot of paper was moved giving little results and the attitude of a certain someone didn't help.

"Psychic," Hellboy drop the file in 'no' basket, "psychic," in the basket too, "psychic," again, "psychic," and again, "PSYCHIC," he shoved it in the now overflowing basket, "pre-cog psychic," in the garbage can beside the table, "re-cog psychic," he paused at that one, it could be useful. He checked the file again, then he made a face before it followed the others in the garbage.

"You know Red," said Abe, "we'll need to pick at least one to satisfy the board. They did insist to have one amongst the new recruits."

"Yeah … but couldn't we just … I don't know, just stay with you and your psychometry ? That's plenty useful not like those two cents fortune teller or those new age aura sniffing dog or something." This last comment made Liz chuckle. "And beside now, we got Krauss too with is … whatchacallit thingy, with the smoke …"

"Ecto-plastic medium," supplied Krauss.

"Yeah, that's the thing, and he can do all those other stuff too, you know useful things."

"Thank you," Krauss said, for he rarely receive compliment from Hellboy.

"Don't mention it," he responds, maybe regretting the compliment he paid to the already full of hot air Krauss. He laughs at his own joke almost missing the comment made by Abe.

"There's a lot of interesting talents out there, we just need to see how we apply them to our cause." said Liz. "Oh ! Do you guys remember, there was this kid who came with us this one time … what was is name … hum … Leach ! Leach something ...", snapping her finger as she tried to recall.

"Sidney Leach, the human metal detector." supplied Hellboy. "he's still at the BPRD, right? He would be better than all those other psychics."

"hum … yes he could do nicely, I think." replied Abe "with a little more training and more time on the terrain he could do just fine. We should see if he would be interested in working with us again. But we really should have a greater selection, so that we can decide later." continued Abe as enthusiastic as ever in order to motivate Hellboy. If he could only convince him to pick one more psychics, it would be a huge victory concerning Abe. So, he did the only thing he knew that would make Hellboy agree to something … no, he did not make him drank enough beer so that he'd sign anything without remembering in the morning. He'd ask Liz to ask him instead.

"Ok, Hellboy, how about this one?" Liz began, "Melinda Irene Gordon, she can see dead peoples."

"And so do we ! Every day of the week with this job."

This was going to be harder than he thought.

* * *

Files after files, piles after piles. Our investigators made some progress.

"I think I got one." exclaimed Liz. "Ace Ventura, an ex-policeman who's now working as a private detective, he specializes in case involving animal. He's a member of numerous environmental protection group and animal rights. He's in the right age range and physically fit, he has travel to Asia where he received spiritual training in a Buddhist temple, mark as class 2 on our charts. Hum, impressive, not everyone can do it and he seem to have pass with an excellent mention from the head priest who gave him a prized necklace. He's now back in America where he solved some thorny case for the police and the FBI. And he gets around too, I see here that he solved a case in Africa. He's also, divorced and had one son who's living with his mother. And he has the ability to talk to animals."

"You mean an animal empath?" asked Krauss.

"No, he really talk to animal and they answer back. He can also train just about any animals and used to help him solve cases. Quite original? It could be the new thing we're looking for. That's odd... there's nothing in his psychological file, only a note from the Dr. Brendon saying that he has the perfect psychological profile for the job, a mind set that will fit the BPRD like a glove and he has the full support of the doctor."

"Hey! Hellboy, wasn't he the one you punch at the last psychiatric evaluation?" questioned Abe.

"Nah!, can't be the same guy, he would never recommend us anybody. That guy would cut off his own legs before helping us. Must be someone with the same name, I mean the Bureau use almost eighty of these guys all over the State to compile those files. Liz, you put him in the maybe basket."

"Ok!"

"Ah! a_usgeichnet,_ some progress. We don't have much in that basket except for that ex-military firearms expert. Who found that one?" asked Krauss.

"That was me," answered Abe, "I found him in the police pile. He's a veteran that turned into a cop. Married with one child, he's a man of action and also a very good shot. I thought it would be nice to have another expert with guns, beside Hellboy."

Almost everyone laugh at the inside joke about the absurd lack of talent when it comes to shooting of Hellboy, while he grumble something under his breath about the lessons he received from the Torch of Justice.

"Anyway! At least he's not another trigger happy nut who has a thing for big guns." cut the big guy. "We already have enough of those, what we need are posed guy who are going to think before shooting. So, if the experts think this ... Eugene Tackleberry is good, we should check him out."

"What about the psychics." retort Krauss, pointing out the flaw in Hellboy's logic.

"Ooh ! Leave me alone with the 'psychics'."

"Let's continue, shall we" said Abe to diffuse the situation. "I taught that maybe we could also look for new instructors. If we're going to expend the number of agents we're going to need more peoples to teach them everything they need know about the job while we're on duty."

"You're right, especially since our schedules are going to become full enough ..." said Liz caressing her stomach in a distracted fashion.

"So lets see … the first possible one would be … Oh, dear !" exclaimed Abe.

The files contained a picture of the applicant who in this case Abe had to unfold two times and turned vertically to see the whole tight … I mean thing ! Thing ! Ahem … Abe could feel his cheek turning to a darker shade of blue and for a few moment he became totally oblivious of his surrounding.

Hellboy leaned over the side of the table to see what had captivated his friend so much. The view wasn't disappointing and he was left staring at the poster as well.

Krauss, now intrigued, sent a whiff of ectoplasmic smoke over the table so that he too could have a look without having to move the others. "Mein Got." he exclaimed "Debbie Callahan, Miss Police March 199..." he never had the time to finish reading what was written on the poster for it spontaneously combusted *cough*cough* Liz *cough*cough*

Everybody jerk back to there places feigning innocence and a 'fuming' Elizabeth was giving THE look to Hellboy. 'I may not live in a pool like Abe,' he thought, 'but right now, I'm the one in hot water.'

Files after files, piles after piles. The search went on.

"Ach! I think we have a real winner here, he got everything we're looking for." exclaimed Krauss before continuing in a more professional tone. "He made is military service in the middle east, where he was decorated. He also help Scotland Yard and the British Secret Services solve a mysterious case, all informations about it are classified. Before that he seems to have done a number of odd jobs like camp councilor, taxi driver, janitor, ice cream vendor, etc. It shows that he's multi-purpose individual. He's a tinkerer and an inventor, very skilled when it comes to machineries and electricity. Furthermore he's an ex-star of the NBA."

"Really?" replied Hellboy.

"Yes, he made a spectacular but brief carrier, it doesn't say why he quit after achieving money and fame, but someone who can do that must be physically fit. But it's not the most impressive thing about him, he has power as well."

"No." said Abe incredulous.

"I'm telling you. He's some sort of electric man, he can store electricity and shoot it back in form of lightning, making him virtually immune to electrocution. And depending on the level of electricity stored within his body he can become like a magnet. His ability mysteriously emerged shortly after his duty as a jury. The experts don't seem to understand where it comes from. And the best part is ! He has experience with the supernatural."

"You're kidding me?" Ask Liz.

"No. He saved the children of a small town from a life sucking troll, that the BPRD classed as level 3 in term of threat. He defeated it and his army single handedly, if we believe the testimony of the towns peoples."

"Hum, those are always a load of trouble," mused Hellboy "I'm impress."

"He also saved Christmas once and he seem to have been involved with pirates, but that's left unconfirmed."

"It's too good to be true," said Abe with enthusiasm. "What's his name?"

"Ernest P. Worrell."

"Hmm, the name inspire confidence. He's exactly the kind of guy we're searching for, _KnoWhutImean?_"

Liz was the next one to have a finding.

"Jax Briggs, member of the Special Force, he had his arms equipped with bionic implants. I thought that maybe more muscles could do us some good." she proclaim while giving a playful wink to Hellboy.

And she's happy, now. 'Her and her mood swing,' thought Hellboy, the usual victim of Liz's mood. He still nod at her suggestion not minding too much the small laugh she had at the expense of his physic. Beside he wouldn't mind someone else to do the heavy lifting from time to time. His chiropractor would agree too.

"It's almost noon." claimed Hellboy, not bothering to check to his watch his stomach telling him everything he needed to know. "We've been at it since morning, some distractions would be good right about now."

"Everyone, there's someone I'd like to meet."

Tom Manning.

Be careful what you wish for, HB.

Manning continue, "She'll be here in about twenty minutes, my secretary is giving her a tour of the Bureau as we speak. She's going to be in charge of the PR for a trial period, she's fresh out of school and was recommended by a friend who works in public relation. So I trust you all know what to do about first impression," he said, eyeing Hellboy in particular.

"Don't worry about anything chief," replied Hellboy all smile. He then turn to the others and began talking like a football captain during a huddle.

"Ok team, we're gonna do the total. I go up front with a war cry looking big. Abe, you cut left, try to snarl and foam at the mouth. Krauss, you go smoky and make things move around do not let her recover. Liz, pick-up the Zulu mask on the wall, you're not scary enough and block her way out with a hot foot."

"Hi! Hi! Captain," said Liz with a mock salute, playing along with him.

"Ok coach, we're ready, send her in," told Hellboy turning toward Manning with all the cheerful disrespect he could muster.

Beyond the frontier of furious, Manning was giving him such a displeasing glare that would make a mistake in a text correct itself.

"You better be on your best behavior, I don't want another incident like with Dr Fraiser. I'll go get her, we'll be here shortly."

After Manning got out of the library, they waited about ten seconds before puffing in laughter. They would never do that, the idea was just ridiculous. They wanted to be accepted like ordinary people, scaring them right off the bat would be counter productive. If the guy was a complete asshole or if they had someone to scare, that was another story. Hellboy and Abe got that good cop bad cop routine down like pros. Which one do you think the big one like to play?

Once serious again, they decided to wrap thing up before the new girl arrived. As they did, Liz found another interesting file.

"Hey! Look, there one here who worked for the BPRD before. His name is Fox William Mulder an ex-agent of the FBI, he's also a 'conspiracy theorist'. That how he found us by the way and the Bureau was so impress that they gave him a job. He didn't last a month, though. When he left the BPRD, he said and I quote : I quit ! This place is just too weird, even for me !."

"I don't remember him", thought Hellboy out loud. "You see so much new staff pass through here that it's hard to believe that it's a top secret place."

As he finish his sentence, the wooden door of the library opened letting through the voice of Manning talking with someone.

"… and finally the library. You're job will be to take care of the image of the bureau and that of our head agents give to the public."

"But Mister Manning, you already told me that", replied soft feminine voice, "what you haven't told me yet, was with who I was going to work with ?"

"Well … them", said Manning with a certain dramatic flare.

She froze in place, as if time stood still. Her eyes widen as she took a deep breath, needing a few moment to take in all that was before her. And she exclaimed in a murmured cry, still unsure if what she saw was true or her eyes were playing tricks on her : "Hellboy …".

For a second panic and fear replaced the wonder on the young woman's face. Only for a second. To her credit, her professionalism took over and put on a stoic face. The perfect neutral-serious face, something earned after hours of practice of never letting anything show. From under her blond dyed bangs, you could see the gear in her head spinning so fast that they were turning red from the heat. The realization dawned in her brown eyes, the opportunity of this encounter was big. Enormous. If she was going to work on what she thought, it could make her career or sink it like the Titanic.

Manning turned toward the African-American woman and announce : "Miss O'Neill, let me introduce you Miss Elizabeth Sherman, Mr. Abraham Sapien, Mr. Johann Krauss and Hellboy."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm …" began O'Neill.

"Miss Danielle O'Neill," cut Abe, putting his opened hand in her direction "graduated recently from the university in publicity and public relation management. You played basketball in high school and through college that won you a scholarship for the university. Your favorite color is green and you hate carrots. You got the bangs on your forehead dyed after receiving an advice from your hair stylist after you broke up with your boyfriend.", finished Abe in one single breath.

"Oh … hum, wow. You're right, indeed," she respond with a nervous laugh. "How did you know all that about me ?" she ask a bit unsettled that he seem to know so much personal things about her.

"Abe, you know that make people nervous," retort Liz as she's getting up to greet the newcomer. "Hi, I'm Elizabeth. Don't mind Abraham, he's a psychometric, he can see thing from touching or hovering his hand over an object. He can also use his power to read people and that's how he gets to know someone, there's nothing to be afraid of." Explained Liz, having herself experience the disturbing first meeting.

"Oh, ok. And what do you do ?" she ask, forgetting that she might not like the answer.

"I burn stuff." respond Liz with sincerity, having come to the conclusion that in some cases you better be out with the truth than to conceal it.

"Euh …" not sure what to answer to that**. **Definitively, not letting anything shows, was getting harder by the second.

Krauss choose this moment to introduce himself, to cut short the awkward moment that seem to possess miss O'Neill.

"Let me introduce myself, _lieb Fräulein_. I am Johann Krauss, originally from the European division. I serve as a medium and an investigator for the team. Please to meet you," said Krauss shaking her hand, with clicks and hisses coming from his suits.

This was far from reassuring Danielle, especially since there seems to be nothing else but smoke in the suit.

She now turned toward the last occupant of the room sitting across the table to finish the introductions. She stared at him. He stared back, probably evaluating her, she believed. She continue to stare as she extend her right hand to shake his. He still stares and she stares back with a smile.

Now she was getting uncomfortable, none of them had stop staring at the other. 'Like a contest of will.' she thought. 'He's checking if I can stand up to him.' Her concentration was broken when Manning leaned toward her to whisper : "Don't stare, he hates it."

Believing she made a mistake, she ask : "Stare what ?"

"His horns. He files them to fit in."

To late, she could not stop herself to look up.

Hellboy almost rolled his eyes. That bad joke is played on all the newbies. He didn't like it when people stared at his horns. It only made them even more obvious. But everyone got played once with that trick because everyone look up when they're told not to. He didn't like it, but he followed the script as always.

"What'cha lookin' at ?"

"No-not-nothing." She stuttered, 'well so much professionalism.'

"So, that's the poor 'laddie' you're gonna put to make us look good. You sure pick'em young, eh ?" Hellboy ask Manning.

Offended, Danielle stiffen in her marine suit and with a sudden regain of assurance took a step forward getting closer to table.

"I'm sorry, are you doubting my qualification ?"

Hellboy got up from his chair and it was his turn to be impress, for even from across the table she could almost see eyes to eyes with him.

"Oh, no. it's just that most peoples don't like my mug, if you catch my drift. You save them and they throw rocks at you."

"So, you think your appearance is a problem. Don't worry, if people like me can make Paris Hilton a celebrity, I can make you the next candidate for presidencies." She replied defiantly.

"Republican or Democrat ?"

"Anything you want darling."

Manning had the most horrible daydream just now, Hellboy at the head of the country. Inner Manning cringed at the idea of having his least favorite employee as a boss. He needed to stop her before she could try something like that !

Just then the alarms started blaring, calling the agents for duty. Saved be the bell, thought Manning.

"Hey, that's our song," said Hellboy to O'Neill. "Abe, you're with me. Krauss, you keep the fort and see what Miss O'Neill can do for us. It was your idea, remember," cutting any protestation from Krauss.

He turned toward Liz with a smile. "Got to go to work, honey. And you take care. Be back soon." He said giving a big smooch on the cheek.

And they were gone.

* * *

Note from Bookeater :

Hey there reader, sorry about the delay but it was the anime convention season and it took a lot of our time and screwed our working schedules. And if your wondering which convention we're going to are G-Anime in Gatineau, Anime North in Toronto and Otakuthon in Montreal.

The good news is, I got more than half of the next chapter done but in need of revision and also half a chapter for a sidefic for our universe of Hellboy. Also thank you for your review they are really appreciated. We got tons of new material for reference for our fic and it's going to make this story even better. So wait for our next chapter and don't worry we plan to continue this fic for a long time.

About this chapters, there was a lot of cameos and references to other movies but do not panic, none of them are planed to appear in the future beside Leech who is already part of the universe of Hellboy. If you want to see some of the character named in the files that appear in this chapter, make us know, we are open to suggestion.

See you.

Note from Shiroyuki *^_^*

Hey, there sports fan … why do I say that I don't even like sports ?-_-?

As my friend BE told you, the last few months were quite hectic with all the different con. G-Anime in February, Anime North in May, Otakuthon in July and I have FanExpo in August. It wouldn't be so bad if I were just attending the con but I like to cosplay and making the costume tend to take a lot of my time. And too gave myself even less free time, at the last con I was also hosting panels (3 of them).

Today we introduce to the fic our first two OC, Dr John Fraiser and Danielle O'Neill. They are both named after a few characters from a certain tv show. If you can guess both the names of the show and the characters, you'll get a cookie *^_^*

If you wish to see what Danielle look like, I have a drawing of her on my DA site *^_^*

http:/ anael-aensland. deviantart. com/ art/ Danielle-O-Neill-WIP-133180883

And you'll also notice in this chapter, we added a lot of references to movies and tv series. Can you guess them all ? If you do you'll get more cookies *^_^* Hmmmmm coooookiiees !

And now the answer to last chapter's question : What was Manning secret passion ?

The answer is : He's a Trekky !

Yes he is, I'm telling you … what you don't believe me, go check the Weyoun reference in the last chapter.

For those who don't know, Weyoun is character from Star Trek:Deep Space 9 and he shares a position similar to the one of Manning. Just as Weyoun is a Vortha and can never become a Founder nor a Jemhadar either. Manning is stuck as the leader of the BPRD and cannot go higher in the governmental hierarchy and he doesn't have what it takes to be an agent. And so, just like Weyoun he tries to manipulate everybody to do his biding and tries to make himself appear more important than he actually is, to both his bosses and the peoples that works under him.

For more info about Weyoun I suggest to ask trekky … or Wikipedia's good too. *^_^*


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer : Hellboy doesn't belong to us and neither does our special guests *^_^*

Rating : M just to be safe because eventually we'll have some scene of violence and because eventually we'll be dealing with mature subject matter.

Oh! and before I forget, this is "talking" and this is 'thinking'

Have a pleasant read and the author notes will follow

Hellboy - A place to belong

Chapter 4

This story actually begins many years ago on a twisted and sinister hill, in a dark and ominous castle. In this grand and scary mansion on top of this tall and lonely hill lived a sad old man. The old man was sad because he didn't...

Actually, this story hasalready been told to a little girl by her grandmother some years ago. But later the very same girl, has now grown up and will have to tell the story of an extraordinary character, in her turn, not to her own granddaughter, no... but to another character just as extraordinary.

So let's skip the dull, uneventful years that follow the first story and transport ourselves sometimes after Hellboy and the others heard the alarm.

It was a dark and stormy night (if you pardon the cliché). The shadow of the castle on the woody hill, illuminated by the silver moon (it's not raining anymore). Most lights were out at this bewitching hour in the community at the bottom of the hill. They lived in fear of the mansion for generations now, never daring to enter the accursed place.

Peoples shiver in fear when glancing at the spooky house. Nobody dared check inside for decades, making the place the bowel of horror stories and macabre legends. Parents tell their children to never go there because the place was ready to crumble and they have heard somewhere that there was an adolescent who died in a collapse some years ago. They don't remember who it was but it doesn't matter, the place is dangerous.

They also told their children that if they climb the hill, the monster that lives there would catch them, cut them up in hundreds of pieces with his monstrous metal claws and feed them to his dogs.

(I must remark here that you notice that most stories parents tell their offspring to scare them are most of the time not approved bymodern pedagogy. They follow the theory that if you tell to young, impressionable and malleable minds a story that would scare the shit out of a veteran of the night shift NYPD officer; they will never do what you tell them not to do.)

Evidently, such stories have given birth to a tradition of various dares and courage tests over the decades. (Proving that parents forget what it's like to be a kid.) But even so, no one dared to cross the wall covered with creepy animal statues and eyes offending gargoyles, which surround the castle. As if some force or primal instinct was driving them away. Those braves or fools enough to go, told of mysterious lights and strange sounds, like ethereal giggles and snipping noises.

For years the situation remained the same. Peoples kept clear of the place and the monsters stayed in the stories. It was so until men with head filled with tales of concrete and profits, rather than tales of ghost and ghouls, stirred what was inside.

Maybe they should not have.

And so, men brought the attention of what was inside on themselves and on the community at the foot of the hills. Like the King in the Sleeping Beauty who woke up after the Princess received a kiss from the Prince that freed her from a century of forced sleep and the King noted that the front lawn got invade with thorns and weeds... He told his Queen it's time to get the gardeners.

The weeds certainly won't like it.

So, the inhabitants of the castle looked at the outside world for a first time in a long while and they didn't like what they saw. They turned toward the owner of the castle, but were met with disinterest and were told he would not do anything. He believed the men would eventually go away on their own.

Frustrated, the rest of the residents decided to take mater into their own hands. They would try to convince the Landlord to help them. In the meantime they began their preparations to do something they haven't done in ages but are nonetheless infamously known for since ancient time.

Under the counsel of the most intrepid and intelligent of them they made a plan.

And it begins tonight.

* * *

In the distance, a baby cry, a mother wail.

* * *

BPRD, New-Jersey

Plane Hangar bay

The place was crawling with activities like an anthill raided by an anteater. Personnels were prepping the plane for takeoff and loading the equipment for the mission. Florida was too far to make it by garbage truck.

As everyone were fretting to get ready for departure, two black clad gorillas (not actual gorillas) were slacking by the doors. No matter where you work there always some peoples who profit that everyone else is busy to take a breather. And generally when two slackers find themselves in the same vicinity, they tend to flock together and discuss things. Like the weather for example if they are banal or from England. Their last lay if they are macho, or the stock market if they are boring. Or sports, their kids, gossips, movies, music, Oprah, Dr Wayne W. Dyer, etc... Slackers got a lot to talk about. But no matter what kind of slacker you are, everyone still thinks you're an ass and should get back to work like everyone else.

So let's listen in and see what kind of slackers they are.

"...and that's how you get screwed by centaurs! I mean, isn't it obvious?"

... As expected of the BPRD, the norms don't always apply here.

"Yeah, I hear you there; Bill will walk funny for a week."

"Yeah, poor Bill. What did you give in the get well basket? I got him a sexy get well card to cheer him up at the hospital."

"Vaseline"

The other man did not reply, pondering the well meaning behind the gift and how Bill will take it. There is always someone to give an awkward present with all the good will in the world.

"You think the Big Guy, Abe and Liz are going on the mission now they are back?"

"Ah. We're going to have Red and Blue but no Sparky. And Mr. Krauss sit this one out too apparently. It's going to be just like before I tell ya."

"I heard from Steve that he was there when they arrived the other day. It look like that the Big Guy knocked up the missus. She was showing and everything."

"Everyone's talking about it. Must be why they jumped the gun last time."

"Then why did the blue guy had to go as well?"

"Dunno, but I am still glad they came back."

"Yeah..." the other black suit responded, uncertain.

"What's wrong, we're going to have the best paranormal investigator of the place back on the field with us. Going to be a lot safer now"

"Don't know. I mean, it's awkward now, no?" seeing the lack of comprehension on his colleague face he tried to explain. "Ok, it's like this. The guy ditches us and we are on our own. We lost more guys on the field these months than almost... ever before. We failed more of the missions and solved fewer cases too."

"We needed to take their places; it's our job that whether they are here or not. They are the best in this job, it is a pair of pretty big shoe to fill" say the HB group supporter. He really seems to look up to them.

"That's what I mean. Half of the department relied on them. We needed to learn to stand on our own and now we're going back to how it was before. If they quit again, we will have to do it all over again."

"Well, first they don't do all the jobs; we have elite troops that handle other cases. They are no pushover. But the special team can't be everywhere at once. Give us some credit too. If we are put in the same team than them, it means the higher up trust us to back them up. It's important. And I don't think we are going to forget everything. There is a lot of thing that got changed since they've gone."

"You realize that we're just here to escort on the plane do ya? Babysitting job."

"But still important." The other responded not letting go of his argument.

"Yeah, yeah." The first man seems to admit without enthusiasm. "Ok, now look at my point of view. It's like when your wife come back to you after three week of 'break up' and you know she slept with that guy but you don't mention it because you want to make up with her while you resent her to have done that and regret not having slept with another woman because you thought you were doing the right thing, see?" he say in one breath.

His companion seemed to try to make sense of what his friend was saying.

"So... You mean Hellboy slept with someone else than Miss Sherman?" clearly not catching the analogy.

"No. I meant that..."

The conversation cut short as Hellboy and Abe arrived at the end of the corridor. The slackers stood to attention not wanting to be accuse of, well, slacking and waited for them.

"Attention" call Hellboy in monotone and still overlapped all the noise in the room. "All aboard, we liftoff now. Briefing inside. If you don't wanna come, it's now or never to back up." He said glancing briefly at the men-in-black-with-bad-analogy. Hellboy had a really good hearing. Better that most people seem to think. "And if you want to say something, it better be about bringing waffles." He was clearly bothered about skipping lunch. "If not, don't speak. Let's get this show on the road."

* * *

Inside the mansion, a tall and slim figure stares at the dark clouds in the day sky through a broken window and shrouding himself in darkness, concealing the detail of his appearance. He did not mind the dark, because there's always some light. When it is day, there the sun and when it is night there the moon and stars. He did not need more.

From the window he could see the town down the hill, his father used to tell him about it. That was before his father went to sleep. After that he was alone.

Many years later, a strange lady came to the castle, she took care of his wounds and ask if he would like to go in town with her; which he did and there he met Her.

He learned he could not live there. It was too dangerous, too confusing, too painful.

He was safe back home and he was going to stay there like She begged him to. To be safe.

Then he was alone again. Sometimes, he wishes he never went down the hill. He was alone before but it did not hurt like it was hurting now. Like yesterday, like today, like tomorrow. Like always.

And after a while other persons came to his house. He did hide but what was strange was that they were hiding too. Then, they came to him. They were different, not like the others down the hill.

They needed a place to live they said, somewhere safe. They asked if it was his house and if they had the permission to stay. He said yes, they could stay. They only wanted to be safe like him. Then more and more peoples came. All different but he did not mind. In payment, they would help to protect and to take care of the place.

They call him the Landlord, which is funny because he wasn't the lord of anything. His father would have told him if he was a lord. They don't think the same way he does, maybe it is because they look different, he observes. But he does not mind. Nobody knows what the other thinks anyway.

And maybe because they were different they would not hurt him. Not like the Others. And so the tenants stayed here. He tought that with so many people around, he would see them more often during the day but at night it was much livelier.

True, a lot of the peoples who stay here only come out at night. Every day, he goes see if they are still here. Most don't approach him. Some do, to play. The others must be scared of him. Like the small kids back when he was down there. They were scared of him too. All those who live here are scared of those who live outside. Those Others, he looks like them, they say, but he does not act like them.

So they leave him by himself. It's strange, there are so many people around but he is often on his own. It is something he does not really understand.

And when he is alone, he remembers. Everything, every single detail. But remembering makes him sad and angry too, sometimes. Like the time when there were even more lights at night than usual down there. Colourful lights. But this 'time' is already past. He will need to wait a whole year before having enough ice in the cold room, and then transport it to his room with the lift. He hopes the lift will hold, it's getting more and more difficult to move it each year. But now he has the help of those who live with him. They say they like seeing what he does with the ice. He did not mind the help but he would like to be on his own when he sculpts the ice. It's the only time he would like to be alone.

Yes, he likes the ice. It's the only material he could use to remember Her properly, to make Her there with him, like She is in his memory. She is down there and he can't go see Her. It's too dangerous. And so he does it every year, here in the room without a ceiling.

Something was different yesterday. Men from down the hill came back. The other tenants said they wanted to do something about them. He did not like it. They asked him to go down there last night to break things, to make the men with the white hat go away. He did not go whit them. He did not want to hurt someone like before. He was so angry back then. He still is when he thinks about that Man. It was to defend himself. To protect Her. The Man was dangerous. There so many dangerous things down there.

The tenants said we had to hurt them before they hurt us. He said no. Perhaps they did not understand pain? No that was not true, they hurt just like he does. That is why they are here. They wanted to scare them away. He did not want to hurt anyone, it's better to hide.

And so they went down the hill to make them go away without him.

Now. The men with the white hat came back again. There was two of them. They couldn't enter, we made sure of that. Just like he thought, scaring them did not work and that is worrying him. He doesn't know what to do now. He knows they will come back again. He will need to talk about the men with Calliban. He knows a lot of things and he's also very wise. He will know what to do.

But the problem is that Calliban is not always around. He can be away for days before he meets with him again.

He also needs to tell Calliban about the cries, he heard them again today. He asked the other tenants about them but they didn't answer or they told him that it's none of his business. But the cries perturb him. He never heard cries around here before.

He could not do anything now. He just hopes to see Calliban soon. He was better to go backoutside and return to work. The yellow flowers are blooming and he needed to look at the dragon. A dragon just like he remembered from the books of his father... Then he will need to see about...

Being busy he forgot the pain... for a while.

Snip!

* * *

BPRD Dispatch plane

Somewhere above the U.S.A.

There were three agents on board and thirteen men from the support crew. Normally, they didn't need that much personnel for a mission. Generally an agent and a partner are enough for any jobs. But even then, it was rare that you send so many agents and inspectors together for a mission. Maybe the missions that Abe and Hellboy are on need more personnel generally but even they work solo if necessary. Particularly Hellboy who liked to act like a lone hero.

The Agents were Abe, Hellboy and Mr. Clark, a seasoned BPRD agent with an eye patch on his right eye. He has been around for some years now, staking mission after mission and surviving all of them, making him one of the most experienced human agent the Bureau has. He didn't have a call name like Hellboy (Red), Abe (Blue) and Liz (Sparky) because after he was suggested Cyclops or Kent (Clark Kent aka Superman, duh!) he refused to get any code name. And don't call him Pirate either, or you risk needing an eye patch too.

He favoured the kaki colour militaries uniform of the bureau, complete with a bullet proof vest, a belt with multiple pouches like Hellboy and a coat with the Bureau logo on it. He as dark hair and black eye, a rough and rugged face combine with a tall athletic built made him seem authoritarian, an allure that gave him respect from those under him. But don't let his look scares you; he is a good guy still. He earns respect and he gives respect.

The plane was on scheduleand it was time for the briefing to start and everyone began to make quiet.

Hellboy was the chief of the mission, so he asked Clark to do the briefing. He simply did not want to do it. So the one-eyed agent got up so that everyone could see him and started.

"Ok, everyone listens! We got an urgent situation on our hands. This morning the police of Suburbia received a call from a couple saw their child looking like a monster in mirror. They dismissed it a crank call but the couple kept insisting, so they dispatch a car to the house. You guess what they found? So, they called our guys in Florida and by the time they got there two new changelings were discovered. We may expect more when get there. Note also that all the known abductions took place in a "problematic" neighbourhood: poverty, drugs, violence, negligence, etc., this fit the M.O. of the changelings but..." Noticing a hand raised the back ground "Yes, Miss Rockbell?"

"Umm, sorry Sir but what's the changeling M.O.?" ask the blonde girl with a pony tail.

"Changelings take kids in distress and exchange them with one of their own, either a kid whom they wish to be raise in the human world or one of their elder who want to spend their last year being pampered." Answered a small brunette with glasses.

"Thank you, Miss Schiezka." Said Clark, "We're gonna need to check every kid from zero to sixteen. Take the usual equipment for dealing with fays: mirror, iron, foxglove ... Once in town, we're gonna set up a temporary HQ in the relay van, I want two teams manning it. Mr. Hughes, Miss Schiezka you're first; Miss Ross and Miss Rockbell will relay you after 6 hours."

"Abe, you and Mr. Armstrong, will check the houses that have been hit and review the reports; you can expect full police cooperation." At that they both acknowledged with a curt nod accompanied an illusionary sparkle by Armstrong.

"Mr. Mustang and Miss Hawkeye, Mr. Elric and Mr. Heiderich, you'll go door to door checking on the other children of the neighbourhood." A salute from Hawkeye was all that Clark needed to know that she was going to keep the boys in check.

Turning to the other side of the plane, Clark stared at the smoke cloud engulfing mount Hellboy and hill Jean Havoc. "Hellboy, Mr. Havoc will you cut that out, it's not like we can open a window. You two nicotine addicts, you can 'stick' together." He was answered by the sound of one last puff coming from behind the white curtain and Hellboy used his stone hand to extinguish his cigar and so did Havoc with his cigarette on HB stone hand like it was the most natural thing in the world while unaware of the appendage's owner reproachful gaze.

"So, Hellboy and Havoc, Mr. Kimblee and Mrs. Curtis, King Bradley and I will be combing every nook and cranny for the children."

"Erk, grunt work." mumbled a dissatisfied Kimblee.

"Anything else?" Asked Clark to everyone but keeping his eye on Kimblee.

"No, nothing." Said a suddenly nonchalant Kimblee, who now seemed very interested by the bolts in the fuselage.

Hellboy commended on the side "Hope you all got something to pass the time 'cause we got another 2 hours ride after the flight before we reach town."

"I GOT THE CARD" exclaimed a very enthusiastic Maes Hughes who brought his special deck with the picture of his baby girl on the back of the cards. And in a strange flash of collective consciousness, everybody imagined a future new daddy HB, showing off pictures and telling to everybody who won't listen about the newest exploits of his kid, just like Hughes.

The one that was terrorized the most by this vision was Hellboy.

* * *

While everyone was trying to keep busy, Abe found himself unable to concentrate on his book.

'This is worrisome,' he thought, 'Changeling are not known for harming the children under their care. The most peculiar thing about this is not the number of kidnapping but how they all seem to happen at the same time. Usually, these things happens once every few decades, not in a matter of days and surely not hours.

'I know that some areas are more incline to such endeavour from the fair folk, but they're in Europe not Florida. Something must have happen to spring this up, I'm sure Hellboy realized this too.

'And if there are so many children missing, I wonder if some adults have disappeared as well? There's never been anything similar to this in the lore and legends. We must act with caution, I have a feeling there's something more to this.'

Letting out an exasperated sigh he tried to return to his book, 'Beside, it's too early to lose myself in conjecture, I need more facts. I hope were not too late...'

* * *

Thousands of miles from the plane, the poor Krauss who was left alone with a young miss O'Neill to his detriment, discovered after a pleasant conversation that the public relation agent was a charm to talk to and it will a breeze for a loquacious person such as himself to work with such a dear. He even gave excuses for the previous behaviour of the red monkey. In his opinion, that peculiar ape did not evolve to the point of manners and etiquette and it was such an embarrassment for the team.

For her part Miss O'Neill also understood from hearing mister Krauss rambles on and on, that even if he seemed on short terms with mister Hellboy, there was also a note of respect and trust toward his coworkers in his echoing and canned voice. The sentiments were faint, but there.

You had to have studied people behaviour like she did to see it, thought.

Dealing with team tensions was going to be part of her job and she had to make sure the public still got a positive opinion of all this. It was getting more and more interesting that by the seconds... Even if she had to work with, like mister Krauss please himself to say, a bonobo who switched banana for nachos.

* * *

Now, thousands of miles from the planes, in another direction, a small but extremely violent storm gave all it's fury above a sawmill. The immediate concern for the current event is that the bizarre ultra micro-climate did a butterfly effect toward the town where our protagonist are heading, forwarding the rain that was originally going to fall on the location hours before it was due. Meanwhile, the sawmill after the brutal punishment from the elements collapse and half of the building fell sideway into the river next to it.

* * *

Annnnd in another direction, thousand of yadda yaddi yadda at the top of the hill, surrounded by the suburb of Suburbia, there is the same manor that was described earlier in the chapter. I'm not going to repeat every detail to the risk of sounding like a house promoter for vampires.

I mean, the place is shady, decrepit, mysterious and gothic enough that an honest to heart Transylvanian would not see the difference...

When you look at the building, you see an amalgam of style and if you had to classify it, you could say it is a Classico-Gothic Victorian with a touch of baroque. And while you are admiring the architecture, you may remark at the top of one the gables that flourish the sky atop of the mansion mostly caved roof, stood a figure standing on an half demolished frog statue.

Why the architect thought it would be a good idea to put a frog statue here? Not the slightest idea. In fact, there were a lot of animal statues all over the place. So much that you could detect a certain obsession in the pattern.

It is to think someone let loose a serial zoologist sculptor on the property...

Well not that we really know about that. You see it's...

Uh? The figure...? Oh! You mean that figure on top of the gable. He doesn't know either and did not care. In fact he probably disliked the statue.

It had been carved by human you see.

It was the kind of figure that if he would give his opinion, no foolish human could ever hope of capturing the essence of nature in their feeble attempt at what they call art.

And he says a lot for a figure who is absolutely still. But! HE was a figure that could pass for art.

Just not human art.

A certain beauty was captured in the slender profile of the one standing up so high without wavering despite the wind. One could definitely say it was a male figure but because of its petite stature he could easily pass for androgynous. Male, but with a certain finesse to it. His posture had grace, despite being on the short side, like a child or a young adult who has still some growth left.

On his perch he had a formidable view of the town below. He was staring at the sleeping conglomeration with his arms crossed over his chest, a scowl of disgust on his delicate face.

He was Calliban.

He was resident of the manor and not by choice. He is a member of the Third race, more known as 'Fae'. And he's not the kind that you shake to cover yourself with fairy dust to fly with a happy thought toward the Never Land.

The action of shaking individual such as Calliban would only reward with dandruff and the only trip you will make his toward the nearest hospital carrying your own ears in your hat.

He wasn't a tooth fairy either. He's far more sophisticated than those one track mind bug that eat everything in sight. If Calliban would play the tooth fairy, it would be with a pair of pliers and a bucket for collecting.

Calliban wasn't what you would call nice... In fact you better not call him at all.

He was what we call a trickster and a mean one at that. It wasn't the he was always mean toward he others... Well yes but he was particularly aggressive toward humans. He despised everything about them. What they are, what they do, what they create, even what they smelled. The very fact that they existed was an insult to his own existence. If was bad enough that he was now forced to live in such vulgar place, he also had to support it without complaining too much. This house represented all he hated, twisting and perjuring nature, but it was also all he had left.

Oh, he could always go away toward places that humans had yet to destroy or go to some other places where most of his kind lived in big community like the old days.

'**Bah! **It was only a matter of time before those hairless apes reached those places and ruin everything once more.' He thought.

And he never could socialize with the other court of the Fay. A big bunch of idiots and blowhard, if you asked him. No. He preferred staying with a smaller community of all kind of Fare folk, working together (under his order) to make this place a heaven (a palace just for him). And right under the humans' nose too!

To him, it was bringing the fight right at their doorstep. A battle he plans to win. A war storyteller will spoke of for the next eons. But not a fight with sticks, stone and broken bones (at least not his), but a battle of wits to mess with their heads.

He had been planning for decades now ever since he came to the castle. It is the perfect hiding place and headquarters to launch his attack. He also brought many other of his kind to this refuge since then (a mastermind needs his minions after all). But even so he would not had to, this place attracted Fae like fly to honey.

The only hitch so far is that he had to start the first phase of his plan earlier than he anticipated. Even thought they used magic and subterfuges to scare the neighbours, to make them forget this place and to put it out of every maps but some wretched humans still coveted it. They want to bring down the place to construct a hotel for the traveler of the new road.

Ha! Like they could. By three times now the manor's resident trashed their equipments. By three times the humans had to stop because their "Thecnologie" failed them. And they began to talk that this place his cursed and they shouldn't bother with it.

The last part is also a courtesy of the other lodgers. A nice suggestion in the ears of one there, a bad dream for the one over there and a big fright for the one with the funny white hat. While humans are just as superstitious and easy convince and influence as before, they are quicker to deny what doesn't fit them. Little by little now, those who want to build here will never want to have anything to do with the place.

Stupid humans. But on the fourth time they messed with their big horror of metal something else happened that wasn't part of the plan. The **abomination** followed them in their mischievous deeds.

"It was to protect them from the outside" he said. Like that monstrosity knew something about the outside world. He didn't even get out of the property in fifty years and now it want to follow us? Why now of all time? That big clumsy meat bag could ruin everything.

And some of the others were happy about it! Those traitorous bastards, half the time they are scared of him and the other half they are grateful he lives here. That horrendous thing lived in the manor way before the Fare folk gathered here. The only thing he did when the Fay arrived was taking care of the garden and... He preferred to not think about it and what he could do with those horrible iron hands of his.

And it did not stop with just his hand, his inside too. That thing was literally filled with iron. So much that no spells or Glamour affected him. The mind, if you could call it that, could not be grasped. It was too foreign, too difficult to feel. The thoughts and feelings were well too guarded and distant for their magic to use.

And the worst is that he acts so innocent all the time! Like a puppy someone kicked. It doesn't act like the monster he is. He didn't try to harm, scare or threaten them at all like he's probably supposed to! At least Calliban would had a good reason to destroy him long ago. But what you could call the house's spirit recognized the thing as its owner and since the Faire folk have to follow some stupid laws, it prevent them to harm him as long as they stay here or if he tryed to harm them. It was so frustrating.

He tried many time to drive him away, but no matter what he did, he couldn't trick or scare him away.

So, Calliban tried to stay clear of his path ever since and observed. And he came to realize something. That walking parody is exactly like the house he inhabits, a pure product of humanity, twisted and evil, made with their "science". But a necessary evil for now.

And now, since he had gone with them on a raid the other Fae began to call him the Protector.

The insult!

It was Him who organized everything, not that mass of flesh and metal.

'Oooooooh... The rage. I can't wait to make him go away. But there always a silver lining on any situations and I just knows what to do to turn this one to his advantage, and it's going to be those smelly humans who will do the dirty work for me', Calliban thought with glee. Now, he just needed to make sure that the dimwitted scarecrow didn't go anywhere near to the wine cellar and then, he will go check on those foolish humans to see what they thought of having their children taken from them and replaced with ugly changelings.

'I can't wait to see those panicked face. Oh, how delightful it is going to be'

* * *

Four black vans on the highway took the exit and slowed down as they arrived in the populated area. In the leading vehicles Clark picked up the radio and spoke: "Come in Tucker, come in. Here Clark with Red and Blue plus twelve B asking if red zone is safe for deployment, over!"

"Here Tucker, area secure and clear for deployment. Two new cases discovered since last call. It's a real epidemic out here guys. You need to come at the last site at 285 Elm Street. Over."

"Roger that. ETA twenty minute, over."

"ETA confirmed, over and out"

Without delay the four government issued vans drove toward the suburbs. From the highway the streets spread in all directions like a spider web made of asphalt. What was probably once a really small bundle of home became a bunch, a cluster and somehow finally ended up as a small town glued to the next small town as a part of the nearest metropolis, where a family could find everything it need to live a happy American dream like life.

One of the first thing you passed getting off the highway was a mall, then a movie theatre, you could also find a school, a bank, stores, restaurants and all other kind of urban commodity. Then you get to the residential area.

Even thought the day was well advance and school should be over, there was no kids playing on the streets. And if there was someone out, it was in a hurry to get back inside as quickly as possible. Houses after houses, build in series and almost identical to one another, they stood like silent sentries for the parade of black vans passing through. Every block sported its own model. That way as you go down the main avenue, you can assist at a backward display of the architectural style for nuclear family residence of the last five decades.

So the closer you got to the hill, the older the houses got. And as the older the houses got, the more unkempt the neighbourhood became. Many of the habitations were in need of a fresh coat of paint, and we're not talking about more tags and graffiti. Traces of vandalism could be seen and trash was covering the yellowing lawn in some cases. Some of the homes now got bars at the window rather than flower pots. Abandoned houses were taken over by junkies and squatters.

You go from prep and proper to rough and dirty, where you drive with the windows up and don't stay out after dark, the bad end of the town if you will. And at the center of this cancerous spot on the map, was the Hill.

* * *

The motorcade finally came at their destination. Easy to spot, since it was the only house with a police car in front. Thought, in this neighbourhood, it must not be this much out of the place.

The engine did not even began to cool down that Agent Clark was out to greet the BPRD agent and the policeman that were waiting in front of the house. The duo progressed toward the car but the policeman stopped right in his track, his mouth in the vicinity of his socks and kept staring at the sight before him. Like a possum sitting in the middle of the road fixing the red Peterbilt truck coming is way, Hellboy made his entrance.

The policeman finally snapped out of is road kill vision and finally stepped up to the group trying to catch up to the conversation without looking like an easily impressible man out of his element who never saw demons and fishmen. He only managed the first part.

"I am agent Archer," greeted the tall man with dark hair and a tin angular face in a all business like voice, "And this is Lieutenant Falman of the local police district." he continued, pointing to the equally tall middle aged gray hair man to his side, "Agent Clark, agent Hellboy, agent Sapien welcome to Florida"

He started to summarized of the situation without being ask, he probably was used to being in charge himself and expected everyone else to be on the same page as him. That, or today has been long enough and being courteous is the least of his problems. Something must have made him fed up enough to make any boot licking pointless in his mind. Surprising considering the fact that everybody in the Bureau who met Archer agree to say that he is an overbearing white collar that got an ambitious streak a mile wide.

Nerveless he continued: "He is one of the two policemen who confirmed the first case about 24 hours ago. We got contacted by their superior and by the time we made it to the site the number of similar cases in the sector grew exponentially. We ordered the policemen who were dispatched to remain on sites to keep the information from leaking to the media. All the testimony of family have already been taken by other BPRD agents but now our division his stretched thin and we informed the main branch for reinforcement."

"Who else is informed of the operation?" asked Clark.

"The local commissioner and the other usual authorities. By chance we intervene quickly enough before the FBI could barge in on us and claim the cases as kidnapping and make everything even more of a mess than it's already is. Also, someone called a priest for the case in this house. Luckily for us, he is new and he has no idea of what is going on. We managed to calm and stop him from calling his superior. Now, he is confined at the police post for interrogation, so the chance we have interference from the clergy his low. We are in the process of tracing the one who called him. All depositions, communications and reports are in the file."

The local agent took a manila folder out of his jacket and handed it to Hellboy who began to browse the pages with a curious Abe reading above his elbow seeing the shoulder was out of he's reach.

Without interruption Archer continued is own report. "A preliminary swipe of the sector as been done and every spiritual, mystic and occult spots in the region related to Fae, elves, and sprites are being combed as we speak but as I said we don't have enough personnel to cover everything and to keep responding to all the new cases of swapping discovered every half-hours or so. The situation is as contained as possible considering the circumstances. We also have been offered help by the police even if they got their hands as full as ours but you know the stance of the Bureau on the matter of outside help..."

"The less they are involved the better, am I right?" finish Hellboy instead of Archer. "Even after my outing they want to keep a tight lid on everything..." continued Hellboy more for himself.

'The less meddlers the less interferences which mean less chance of a messy rescue if rescue is possible', thought sombrely Hellboy. Now that he was on place, the whole thing began to feel like somebody behind the scene orchestrating everything.

"What we need right now is to find the reasons behind the kidnappings. They don't tend to do it for noting and this kind of neighbourhood lead us to believe that poverty and child abuse are common things here. Those are the most general causes for this kind of exchanges." said Abe.

Hellboy took time to take another look around before continuing. "That is just prejudice. How many cases fit the usual M.O.?"

"According the social workers, the police and federal files; three out of eight." Said Abe not even look up from the files pages.

"Right." drone Archer clearly upset that someone doubted his report, while Hellboy and Clark simply nodded and Lt. Falman was considering himself lucky to be able to follow the conversation.

"Also, there are too many points not adding up. Like the fact that this is a heavily populated area with few natural ground left. So why come this far into human territory when they tend to stay clear from it? This not a newly constructed place either, so we can rules out retaliation for taken territory. For if it was the case it would have been ages ago. And then, there the matter of where the children were taken. There's no large untouched open spaces left to hide and no sighting or bizarre event that would indicate the presence of Fae." continued Abe.

He then pointed an aerial survey photo of the sector found in the folder that Clark was now studying. Spot of colors placed at random on the picture indicated the places of the kidnappings. "If we look at it at a bird eye view on this photo," Abe said taking it for a better view for everyone's "there is no order to the crimes, they don't follow a pattern nor seem to trace any kind of design." Putting the photo back into the folder he carried on. "The amount of times between cases indicates that there were probably more than two 'teams' of kidnaper. And because there is no apparent link between any of the children, we can suppose that they are more interested by the numbers than the kind of children is being taken and this means that every child is at risk of being captured."

"So, it's quantity over quality." said Hellboy trying to lighten up the mood.

Ignoring the comment made by his friend, Abe resumed where he was interrupted, "We already gave order regarding this and teams were send to comb the neighbourhood and to make sure that everybody his who they claim to be."

Now that everyone was on the same page, Hellboy asked Clark to check on the staff and how the preparations were going. Meanwhile Archer suggested proceeding inside to assist with the interrogation of the changeling led by his colleague named Tucker who was waiting for them. While everyone else was going inside, Clark stayed there to oversee the rest of the deployment of the other agent. Abe was about to do the same when he saw the look his pal was giving him with a smirk at the corner of his mouth.

"What?" he ask.

Hellboy stopped looking at him and started walking toward the entrance albeit at a slower pace so that he could have a conversation with Abe. "You missed it, didn't you? The investigations, the mysteries, racking your brain for answers and finding the truth. I guess that means no more hand knitted pyjamas for the babies..." Hellboy said not looking at Abe at all knowing the flat look the fishman was giving him, remembering that within their self-imposed retirement Abe was the one who had the most difficulties to adapt.

Once logging, food and all basic accommodations were taking care of; Abe, the refined mind that he is, began to get bored because of the lack of intellectual stimulations. The telly, as the Brit says, procured little divertissements and after three days of Britain local broadcasts, the normally calm and centered individual almost tossed the tube through the window. It was then that Abe beg Liz to go to town and raid the local library and bookstores, and all was good for a while.

But, because of his reading speed he passed through his favourite books in no time. Then to compensate he began to explore other kind of literatures. All kind of literatures: novel, newspaper, magazine, European comic books, manga, children books, comedies, science-fictions, fantasy, thrillers, mysteries, horror, political, financial, religious, biographies, science, and even bad romances.

Hellboy and Liz began to worries about him when he began sighing like a teenage girl in love when he was reading the last 'Twilight' novel... It was Liz who found a solution in one of the piles of book she brought back for him in the form of an art and craft magazine. What about not just studying a subject but trying it for a change?

Abe was delighted at the prospect and wondered why he did not think of it himself. He was always one to appreciate arts. But the only thing left to do was finding which hobby to pick up. And thus began the "great commotion" as Hellboy called it. Abe tried many, many and many things. All with a varying range of success. Music was a disaster. With his lung/gills air instrument are out of question but his dexterity made marvel for string instruments. The guitar was doable and affordable but... Abe really didn't have a musical ear. Liz swears that even the babies were upset by it. This was just one of the many disasters, like when he tried knitting cloths for the babies.

Abe is a genius, both an accomplished martial artist and marksman but knitting... Let's just say that you could not guess for what species it was made. Hellboy and Liz still used that story from time to time to tease Abe, the latter arguing that the pyjamas would just need a few adjustments.

That's why Abe decided to snub his friend and nose in the air enter the house. Hellboy left out a chuckle. It was good to be back.

* * *

'The inside of the house is cleaner than the outside' thought Hellboy. Which made him somewhat guilty about walking on the clean floor with his boots? Months of living alone with Liz and Abe made aware of how time consuming and tiring household chores could be. As time passed he has taken onto himself to do more than his shares of works around the house because he didn't want Liz to strain herself with her pregnancy. It is to be said that he received a scolding when Liz got fed up from the constant pampering and made sure that Hellboy understood that she was pregnant NOT disable.

The group arrived at the room where the captured fay was supposedly held. Beside the fact that the floor was littered with beer cans, it was a typical kid room with all the essentials plus a fair amount of toys. If he trusted the color scheme it was a boy's room and he couldn't help but wonder how his future kid's room will look like when it will be done. He should consult Liz about that.

There Hellboy saw a man from the BPRD, who must be Tucker, looking both tired and bored, watching a little kid sitting on the bed. There was also a policeman named Brosh, if you believed his name tag. He was watching the reflection of the kid with morbid fascination in a hand mirror, his eyes going back and forth from the child to the mirror, still not believing that the two images were of the same thing.

'Oh boy. I feel that this guy will be good for the shrink once we're done. I bet he is going to check every child he comes across with a mirror from now on.', thought the demon.

And he wasn't blaming him. Hellboy remembered the first time he saw the phenomenon, he was also a little paranoid for a while and after that he never left home without a little pocket mirror. But he did not need a mirror to know what the policeman was seeing.

Changelings have the capacity to make people around them see what they want, an ability called glamour. That way they can take on the appearance of anyone or anything as long as they respect a certain range of mass and volume. But it is just an illusion and not a physical transformation. Maybe they developed that ability after they realized they were so ugly. It is like instead off climbing the tree of beauty and being graced at each branch they reached, it is more like someone dropped them from the tallest tree of ugliness there is and they hit every branch on the way down, landing on their face, which did not help either.

Imagine a little squat humanoid, green-brown in color with short limbs and really long fingered hands. A bloated body and a face that is a cross between a bulldog, a goat and a wart afflicted toad and you get the general design for a changeling. A face only a mother could love and only if the mother is blind.

Plus, Hellboy did not need to look in a mirror to confirm that it was not a human kid of three or four years old. Just the way he was acting was enough to tip off anyone. You could see the little kid sitting on the bed, downing a jumbo can of beer like a forty year old alcoholic or a college student at a frat party. That explained the empty crushed cans on the floor. And by the number of them, Hellboy could guess that by now the little turd must be over the line of tipsy and more in the gutter of completely sloshed. The thing was fighting gravity and leaning dangerously over the edge of the bed, having lost his balance to the ale.

Finishing the can in one loud gulp it exclaimed: "Wha' cha loookin at aschowl?" In a slurred voice way too rough for a child, effectively breaking any doubts that this could be an alcoholic kid. "Didch one of yousse puschies broughtch any more beer?*burp*"

Apparently, the ale took it's politeness too.

Archer felt the need to explain. "So far, not any of the capture changelings said anything under interrogation. It looks like they are just old ones who wish to pass the rest of their days in the care of human. What do they take us for? Golden age caretaker? We already have problem taking care of our own old farts!" Letting go of his need to rant, Archer took a breath to calm himself down. Just being in the presence of the pretended child stressed him. He already did this at least five times today.

"No matter the method whether it is by cold iron or alcohol we can't make them tell us where or why all the children are taken. We even used both of them at the same time, like the carrot and the stick if you will, but the little critter was so wasted by the time we finished that he almost choked on the horseshoe. The five of them are more tight lipped than a guy getting all his teeth pulled out."

Turning toward the 'suspect', Archer put on is bad cop persona, (not a big stretch by now, he looked ready to strangle it) and asked, "Are you ready to tell us what you lots are planning or I cut of the beer and bring back the horse shoe or maybe a nice cup of foxgloves herbal tea?"

"Ain't plannin' nothin' ***BUURRRRRAARP***" finished the drunk in a throaty belch, the motion somehow making him lean forward on the bed even more. That burp was the leading wagon of the vomit train that followed, splashing on every one shoes and made the room smell like an alley behind a bar.

"Yuurk, tashted likech lash week left-overch."

It was all it took to make Archer loose the rest of his calm. "Why you little...!" he said trying to strangle the child-look-a-like in a fashion not too unlike some popular American cartoon icon. Hellboy put his hand on his shoulder, stopping him from snapping the creature's neck.

"Let's take him to the post. At the rate he absorb alcohol, he's stone cold and won't feel any pain from the iron. Once he's sober again, he may tells us something just to have an aspirin for his hangover. And if not, it's the horseshoe (standard BPRD equipment). He turned toward the other Floridian BPRD agent: "Tucker, put it in the cage and you Falman, you follow me. We're taking a stroll in town."

The grey haired policeman jumped upon hearing his name and knew he had to help the BPRD, but he wished he could be somewhere else. His partner, who was left to lock the place up before going back to the station, gave him a sympathy look. With the night coming, the whole day began to feel more and more like an horror movie and he had a felling that was going to play the part the policeman that goes to check things in the dark only to be the first one to die.

And the old wrinkled monster too drunk to regain its composure was laying on its back muttering: "*cough* *ack* *cough* Thich aint no waych to treat a lady."

* * *

Getting the thing inside the cage was bothersome to say the least. Even safely locked inside the cage, which looked like one you use to take your dog on plane (only if the dog was as dangerous as a rabid wolf), the creature kept trashing around and spouting insult that would make a sailor sound like a librarian.

Everyone else was ready to start the search for the missing kids but a small crowd of onlooker had gathered near the house and delayed their departure, for several of the agents helped the few policemen to keep the crowd at bay.

But when you put a gathering of unusual cars, people in funny uniforms and no explanation whatsoever in any neighbourhood and you will attract a curious crowd like sharks are attrated to the smell of blood. People will be people and the people will always like a free show.

The usual ruckus was amplified when Hellboy and Abe got out of the house. They just drowned the noise in their thoughts, having somewhat got used to it. They weren't too worried about the crowd coming close to them, even if you could consider them being celebrities. One, they were the wrong kind of celebrities, and two, when you look like a walking blue fish or being seven feet plus tall and built like a stack of brick, it kind of make peoples give you a wide berth.

However, it was getting hard to ignore the nails on black board like screeching coming Hellboy's way. After browsing his index of known languages, it appeared that someone was trying to banish him. Like a bad re-enactment of the movie 'The Exorcist', it was done with a great deal of '_Vade retro Satana' _and patched up with biblical quotations.

Hellboy stopped getting offended by that type of behaviour in the mid-eighties, but it was still annoying. 'Why am I doing this job again?' he thought, 'Oh yeah... I was conned into it.'

He turned to his right to see a small and frail looking grandma who somewhat managed to pass the cordon. It was the classic looking grandma with white hair, bottle end glasses and wrinkles. However this model also came with Parkinson, a rattling denture and a raspy breath. But her posture spoke of fury and determination, her speech of fanatical religious devotion and by looking in her eyes you could see the ember of insanity still burning in her being after it had been doused by senility.

You know. The kind of old relative that you are glad you only had to meet only once or twice a year...

She had made her way through the crowd using her mean looking walker to hack and stomp the forest of tibias and toes in front of hers, nothing short of a large boulder would make her steer off the straight line she was making toward him. Agent Elric can attest for this as he massages his left tibia, while demanding who she was calling a shrimp.

There even a huge wooden crucifix on the front of the walker. The nails that kept the Christ on the cross were replaced by the bolt holding everything in place, like a spiritual bumper for her ride.

The collision seemed imminent and Hellboy, who was staying still in fear of agitating the woman even more (Manning would skin him alive if he were to give a cardiac arrest to some elderly by accident on his first mission after his return), Lt. Falman stepped in front of him to stop the woman as gently as he could, asking her to go back to her home.

Seeing that the potential small crisis was averted and that he could go back to business, Hellboy pinched the bridge of his nose wondering why he thought coming out of the closet to be known to the world was a good idea after all...

His thoughts were stopped once again by the shouting of the old lady. Poor Lt. Falman was doing his best to calm her down and was wondering how such an old bat could be this troublesome.

"... keep telling you. It's the scissor hands demon! He's the one who took the children. He came back to take revenge on us all! I kept telling you sinners! Pray God for their souls because you are now paying for your sins! LOOK! IT being here is proof that he's in league with that scissor hands demon! He came to help him take them all to hell. He is going to cut them all into pieces like before! It's revenge because you sinned against the Lord. How could you, poor sheeps, strayed so far from the path!"

'Hummm... You can hear the exclamation points in her speech.' Though Hellboy. 'Yup, there's a few bats in her bell fray. But what she said... Could it be...'

By now, Falman got reinforcement in the form of the other policeman, Brosh, who brought with him a woman in her mid-forty who was out of breath fore she just ran to get there. She seemed relieved when she saw the old lady. She exclaimed: "Oh miss Esmeralda, there you are, you shouldn't go outside like that without telling me." She gently took the frantic zealot by the shoulder "You didn't even take your coat; you are going to catch a cold." At that the old lady seemed to sag on herself and stopped struggling, still muttering her sermon.

The Nurse said to the police officers: "Oh, I am sorry, just I turned my back a minute and she was gone. Normally she never goes outside unless it is for church. She won't trouble you again. Now, let's go home miss Esme, I'll brew you a nice cup of tea." And they were gone the old lady keeping saying: "...his house. We need to go to his house like before. It's the scissor hands I tell you, it's him..." and the noise from the rest of the crowd drowned the voice. What she said intrigued Hellboy. Maybe it was only the ramble of a less than lucid individual, but sometime the old people remembered things that the general population tended or tried to forget. But still it was just a hunch but he didn't think that asking _Miss. Esme_ would give anything given her earlier reaction. He is going to ask around to see if he can learn anything and if not, he is going to send one of the other teams to talk to the two women. He rejoined the BPRD teams and he gave the go for the search party to begin.

He saw both Abe and agent Armstrong in a van, about to go visit all the places where the changelings were found in the neighbourhood. Armstrong, that giant that he is, was squeezed behind the wheel of the van, looking like an adult in a Fisher Price toy car. Hellboy knew the feeling and gave a nod to the only other guy that he knew who was above 7 feet, got problems with low bearing doors, any cars other than a Hummer and have their cloth made by the same tailor specialized in men with more than thirty-two inches at the shoulders. Being tall and having muscles that have muscles can be problematic at times.

And then he was left with Havoc who was grilling one to fight off the cold and Falman who probably would begin to smoke just to calm his nerve. The darkness had finish to settle and with the sky covered, the only source of light came from the houses and street lights. 'Time to find out what all that was about.'

* * *

'WHAT'S THAT THING DOING HERE!' thought a panicked Calliban. He was disguised as a human in the crowd that was gathered in front of one of the houses where they had proceeded with an exchange not too long ago. He had heard about the devil who hunted his own people, the lap dog of those damn humans, Hellboy. The rumours said that he killed prince Nuada when the latter was trying to reawaken the golden army to wage war against those pesky humans. Not that he was sad or angered about the prince, because Calliban always thought that guy had a pole shoved up his ass. But he had the right idea about what to do with humans and had the balls to act upon it!

But there have been no news about Hellboy for a while and now he was here. Could they be going for him next? His plan only had begun and he was nowhere near ready to go against the humans in such way! If he was to battle Hellboy, he would end up as a grease stain on the floor. Was he betrayed? No... No, they could not know about his plan already and his brethren would not betray him that easily, he made sure of their loyalty when he included them in the plan. Then that meant... The fact they were in that house... 'IT MEANS THAT OLD BAT HAS BEEN FOUND OUT ALREADY! IT DID NOT EVEN TAKE TWO FULL DAY AND THAT INCOMPETANT BITCH HAD BEEN CAUGTH! AAAAAARRRRRGH!'

He was surrounded by incompetents and imbeciles. Does that mean the others were already found out too? No matter. They were dead weight anyway. He had the kids in hostage that what is important. He had far less than he hoped for but it would have to be enough. He had already taken into account that the humans would eventually discover the exchange but he did not think that the humans would call Them? 'When was that time when they would cower in fear at the simple mention of us and beg to have back their progeny? Huh? The insolence of them all!' He would make them pay!

Yes... It wasn't too late to modify the plan. Yes, yes, yes. He, Calliban, could turn this to his advantage. They were just a bunch of human running around to find those little monkey they call children. They are so simple minded that it will be a jest to make them dance to his song. And that big red hound of theirs will do the dirty job for him.

He hehe ha he He !

* * *

Meanwhile at the castle: Snip! Snip!

* * *

Author Note: I AM SO SORRY! I never intended for this chapter to take more than a year to make. And what's worse was that 80% the rough draft was completed long ago but didn't make it on the screen until last December. My work place for last year made it really hard for me to focus on the story and I was away from my co-author most of the time, complicating the work schedule.

We are back and expect the next chapter soon (less than a year this time, I swear)

As for this chapter, you may see that most people on the cast of this chapter were based and named on the character of Fullmetal Alchemist. Don't worry we are simply using them to flesh out the secondary characters and you probably won't see them after this ark. Think of them as cameo and specials guests. Next time we will probably use character from other popular series like Star Trek or Star Gate, anything can do. So in the next ark (in about two or three chapter) you will have to guess from which series they are from.

For the last chapter we add mentioned:

Blue Rajah - Mystery Men

Casey Jones - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

John McClane – Die Hard 1 to 4

John Rambo – Rambo 1 to 4

Sidney Leach – Hellboy: Blood and Iron

Melinda Irene Gordon - Ghostwisperer

Ace Ventura – Ace Ventura 1 and 2 plus cartoon

Eugene Tackleberry – Police Academy 1 to 7 plus cartoon

Debbie Callahan - Police Academy 1 to 7 plus cartoon

Ernest P. Worrell – Ernest movies

Jax Briggs – Mortal Kombat games and movie 1 and 2

Fox William Mulder – X-Files

And for our first two OC, Dr George Fraiser and Danielle O'Neill, they were both named with the fusion of two characters names from Star Gate-SG1: George Hammond and Janet Fraiser, Daniel Jackson and Jack O'Neill.

Did you guest them right?

For Calliban, we just followed the tradition in the Gargoyles cartoon that fay are named after Shakespeare characters.

See you all next chapter… soon… I hope.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Hellboy doesn't belong to us *^_^*

Rating: M just to be safe because eventually we'll have some scene of violence and because eventually we'll be dealing with mature subject matter.

Oh! And before I forget, this is "talking", this is 'thinking' and _this is talking in foreign language_. Have a pleasant read.

Hellboy - A place to belong

Chapter 5

As the night progressed the temperature was getting cooler, and for Hellboy it was nice to escape the humid winter of England and then New Jersey for somewhere dryer. Hellboy and Havoc, Kimblee and Curtis, Clark and Bradley were going through the neighbourhood on foot exploring every nook and cranny in hope of finding some leads regarding the disappearance of the children. And it was a good first twenty minutes of fruitless search for Hellboy and company. Hughes and Schiezka in the equipment van were coordinating every other teams on the mission accordingly to the finds (Schiezka desperately hoping for the end of their shift so they could be replace by Maria and Winry, so she wouldn't have to listen Hughes incessant blabbering about his daughter).

Hawkeye and Mustang, Elric and Heiderich, who were assessing the identities of the other children of neighbourhood, were ending up dry as well, which in their case was a good thing. Abraham and Armstrong were visiting the other crime scenes and came up with the same scenario each time. Abe extra sense kept telling him that whoever was exchanging the children were leaving behind a feeling of glee like some kind of work well done or anger toward the inhabitants of the houses. And that was only when the traces left were recent enough. And to finish, Archer and Tucker's interrogation of the captured changelings at the post was going poorly, but Hellboy never really expected much from that end.

* * *

After a good thirty minutes of search, Hellboy decided to follow the hunch he had gotten earlier, because maybe the problem was more of a local breed, the kind that is generally related to the local folklore. He turned toward Lt Falman who was using his flashlight to lighten up the back alley of the houses they were exploring.

The policeman was looking behind a small shed when Hellboy asked him: "Do you know what the old lady was talking about? About the demon who supposedly attack children with scissors? Because I got the feeling she wasn't talking about me."

"Huh? Oh, you mean the scissor handed demon! That's just an old wife tale, you know the local boogeyman the adults use to scare the children," answered the policeman. "But I mean why? Are you bothered that much by what that old woman? She's just a crazy paranoid old bat, we get at least one call a week from her. She's always giving us complains about everything and anything. She's just a bother if you ask me."

"Let just say that I am a fan of scary story, so humour me." Hellboy demanded. Meanwhile, Havoc continued his search while paying close attention to the conversation.

That left Falman scratching his head under his police cap. "Not really, I am not from around here you see. I just moved in town two year ago when I was dispatched to the station. Heck, I would never have heard about it if it wasn't for the vandalism at the construction site. It was one of my older colleagues who told me about it since he's from around here. And he didn't tell me much about it either, he said that it was already an old story when he was young. "

"Vandalism? Can you tell us about that then?" Asked Havoc in is turn. He was starting to see where Hellboy was going with this.

"Humm, well…" Lt Falman was getting nervous not used to be under inquiry like that. Usually it was the other way around with his job. "It began about a month ago, the construction company where setting their site, just west of here, so they could began the development project. When they returned one morning, all of their machines refused to works, somebody had managed to sabotage them all without alerting the security guard. We were called on the scene but found no clues whatsoever about who did it. So they fired the first security guard and hired two instead. The repairs took a while but they manage to get back to work. But then, the next morning the site was messed up with the machines broken and the guards claimed that they didn't see or heard anything either. The company patched up their equipment's once more but last time it was us who was assuring security. And despite everything they did, it happened again! I wasn't on guard duty that night but this time the site was really vandalized. Paint on the walls, smashed windows, and flat tires, everything I tell you. But what was particular was the claw marks, like something out of a Freddy Krueger movie. " Lt Falman paused to give himself some dramatic. Hellboy found it funny how the policeman was lighting his face from under with his flashlight and he didn't even seem to notice he was doing it.

"There was claw marks everywhere. Scratches and gouges on the walls, everything that looked like it could be cut was. Tires, phone lines, plans, desks, chairs, vests, cables, computers, anything they could get their hands on. The culprits were really throughout this time; the construction company have yet to finish dealing with the damage. No reclamations, no protesters, no messages, no evident motives, no anything. The investigation came up with nothing on how they could do all this without alerting anyone or who and why they did all this. The only thing they determined was that all the cutting was done with scissors. It was that, that tipped off my old colleague, then he went to see the claw marks for himself before he came to a conclusion. The ones who vandalised the site the third time were trying to make it look like it was done by the killer with scissor hands. And since it only a local legend and not widely known at that, it was determined that those who made all the mess were locals or at least one of them was."

After Lt Falman finished his impromptu account, Hellboy was left scratching his chin deep in thoughts. The resurgence of a local monster, old lady raving about it, a construction site getting stopped by seemingly unknown means, all that coinciding with a series of children kidnappings? If he did not know better it was like someone left a big trail to follow. A little too obvious if you ask him, like if this was a polar it would be written in big bold glow-in-the-dark letters: HEY THIS IS A CLUE DUMBASS!

Hellboy didn't believe in clues. They tended to be untrustworthy and generally existed only to confuse honest paranormal detective. So someone was setting something behind this whole charade but he did not know yet the why or who.

How did he know this? In all his years of experience in chasing creatures of every kind, only the sloppiest or mindless ones leave obvious trails like that. And if it wasn't the case, it meant that a sick son-of-a-bitch was playing a game with you. Normally, felonies are generally undiscovered or if they were, the trail had gone cold a long time ago. Hellboy knew that all the cases that the BPRD and himself were solving (or sometime made a bigger pile of crap out of it) were only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

'So, you wanna play like this? Ok, let see where it lead us.' thought Hellboy. He picked up his radio and called the van: "Red calling HQ, Red calling HQ, do you copy?"

It was Hughes who responded: "HQ here, we hear you. What can I do for you? Or did you just called to get the latest news about my lovely little daughter? Did you know that she's going to turn three in a few days and…"

Hellboy interrupted him before the daughter raving machine could get enough steam.

"Hughes, stop!" Hellboy let out a sigh and rolled his eye, "I need you guys to make a research on «the man with scissor hands». It's a local legend and it may have something to do with a series of vandalism that was done on a construction site in the sector. I want the whole deal: police reports, newspapers, video archives, Google, etc. I want a full report pronto. My team will inspect the construction site; tell the other team to re-deploy so they cover our sector and get Ross and Rockbell to help you if you need it. Oh! And the old woman that was yelling at me back at the house may know something so send hum… Clark and Bradley to see if they can get anything out of her. "

Havoc, who was now beside Hellboy, commented: "I am not sure that sending the Cyclops brothers after an old… excitable person is a good idea. I mean, they are the most intimidating guys in the group beside you. We want her to tell us more, not scare her into a cardiac arrest."

Hellboy stopped and thought about it for a few seconds. Yup, he could totally see them do that.

"Huh, good call." He said to Havoc, he picked up the radio once more. "Scratch that last part, send Elric's team, they have less chance to scare the living light out of the old bitch."

At this, Havoc thought: 'Instead of sending in the scariest of them, you send the guy with the worse attitude and a tamper stable as nitro. I hope that Heiderich'll be able to keep him in line.'

* * *

In another part of the neighbourhood, the team compromising of Edward Elric and Alfons Heiderich were knocking at their umpteenth doors this evening. And what a lousy evening it was in their opinions. It wasn't the job that was getting on their nerves, they after all signed up for this gig knowing full well what it was implying despite their teacher, Izumi Curtis, warning. And now they were working at the same place she was and on the same case too. At least they were not in the same team as her (thank god for small favours).

No, what made it a lousy evening was that unless the houses they visited had any children, they were still disturbing people in the evening, even though it wasn't that late. And when peoples learned they worked for the government they received an even colder reception, by two times they were accused of working for the I.R.S. They also been chased of properties by angry residents with shotguns once and attack by small dogs three times (a Chihuahua, a Yorkshire, and one of those who look like a sausage) and to add insult to injury, Edward stepped on some fresh dog poop and was now carrying the sent with him.

Not even an hour passed since they started, it was promising.

The door opened to an (much (much)) older woman, wearing a colourful very short and very clingy dress, who made a happy cooing sound when she inspected the two agents from head to toes. "Oooooooooh, hello there." She said liking her lips "Huuuum, but my anniversary is not until next month."

The two BPRD agents were left frozen on spot and kept staring at the woman their brain not computing what they just saw. It was Edward who snapped out of if first and managed to introduce themselves. "He-hello Mrs. we are from the BPRD and we were wondering if…" before he was interrupted by the women.

"My my, aren't you a direct one. And you stick to your scenario too, such professionalism… _I like it_." The way that golden age lady said it sent a very cold shiver down Edward spine. The old lady kept talking while opening the door. "Please enter," she said sensuously "It's so cold outside, maybe we could find you a way to _warm yourselves up_."

Edward probably should have stuck to the mission and respected the agency protocols, but above all else, he should have listened to his instinct, telling him to hightail out of here. But it was the first positive welcome they had all day and maybe they could gain a few information by talking with the old lady. So he accepted, dragging a still shocked Alfons with him.

_Four minute later_

The house front door opened in a fury letting out a running and completely spooked Alfons who had lipstick smeared all over his face followed by a dishevelled Edward who had all his cloths in disarray, a cuff half ripped off at his left sleeve. He had trouble running for his life while trying to buckle back is belt. He jumped over a fence to joins Alfons in hiding, who had some trouble erasing the lipstick. And Edward did it not a moment too soon as the figure of the practically naked old lady appeared in the doorways.

"Please come back! I swear I give you back your hand-cuff!"

Edward and Alfonse kept low and stopped moving in hope of not being spotted. They began to whisper to each other in order to not alert their presence to the lustful mummy.

"How did she do that so fast?" asked a traumatized Alfons. "She almost, almost…"

"Don't say it! God, it was horrible." Cut Edward, "Her hands were… and she was grinding… brrrrrr." said a truly disgusted Edward. He could not shake from his mind how easy she restrained them and the horrible things she said she would do. He didn't want to imagine what would have happen if he hadn't managed to brake free.

'Winry must never learn what happened here.' Edward thought, dreading what would happen if she ever did.

It was at that moment that their radio went off: "The Van to Elric, the Van to Elric. Do you copy? I got new orders for you, you need to…" was all that Hughes had time to say, in a painfully loud sound in the opinion of Ed and Al, before the two blond men managed to turn-off their radio.

Unfortunately, the old lady heard the radio: "Ah! There you are!" she exclaimed with glee, going outside without bothering to cover her modesty.

The two young BPRD agents bolted from their hiding spot, running away as fast as they could. Whatever new orders they had, it could not be worse than what they just went through.

* * *

The construction site was closed for the night but a word from Lt Falman made the policemen on duty let them in. Lt Falman was discussing something with the completely stumped policeman who couldn't believe what he just saw. At least Falman add some sort of warning before meeting Hellboy.

So he left Hellboy and Havoc to inspect the site. It wasn't much to look at, a chain-link fence, two characteristic portable buildings probably used as an office and as a cantina, some fully filled industrial sized dumpsters and a line of machineries such as bulldozers, loaders, trucks, etc. The type you usually see on construction site, noting surprising here. At the end of the lot, there was a half crumbled graffiti covered wall that looked like it was made to hold some kind of large doors. Behind the wall was a barely visible path, almost totally overcome by foliage and weeds. Also, noting of interest there. Obviously, this was just a place to park the equipment and the office of the foreman. 'The actual construction must be taking place somewhere else.' thought Hellboy.

But when you took a closer look you could see what an obvious wreck the place was. It was Lt Falman who explained to them earlier, that the company had to wait after the insurance claim before they could repair anything. The insurance people took a lot of pictures and wrote tons of reports and there was the police investigation too. The site workers only began the repair and the clean up today.

Hellboy was lucky that the machines were still there, because they were probably scheduled to be exchange for new ones, because most of them had too many things broken to be repaired on site.

That way, Hellboy and Havoc could observe for themselves and they both came to the same conclusion: whoever wanted this site stopped meant business. For example, all the tires were flats; either pierced or had huge gouges in them. The cabins' glasses were broken, the exterior looked like someone had a lot of fun with a mace and it seems like there were parts hanging loose from the belly of the machines as if they were torn from them.

Not an easy feat commented Hellboy.

Even he would be hard-pressed to be able to tear things out like that, it would require a lot of strength or even specialised tools. And it would make infernal noise for sure. It was impossible that the guards didn't hear anything. Heck, the neighbours would have heard that, the nearest house was just on the other side of the road, about a stone throw from Hellboy.

And there was the 'claws' marks. Scratch would be more précises and there were lots of those. Too much if you ask him. It was like somebody was trying too hard to make people think it was done by whom or whatever that did these scratches. When Havoc mentioned this to Hellboy, he said that he had the same impression.

Hellboy made a quick stop at the dumpsters who revealed a lot of glass, broken wood parts, wrecked tools, smashed computers and machinery parts such as hydraulic conduits for example. It was those that interested him.

He immediately noticed something when comparing the different sized conduits. The smaller ones effectively looked like they had been cut using some type of scissor; a fact was impressive by itself, because even with huge one or secateurs it would be difficult to cut a rubber conduit of this thickness. But the bigger ones looked like they were cut using some other kind of bladed tools. It made sense if you think that someone, like a human, would need appropriate tools for such work. But what was interesting for Hellboy was the fact that the peoples who did this wanted to make the vandalism to look like it was cause by the 'man with scissors hand'. So why use some other tools like saws or knives? It was evident that the primary goal was to stop the construction and making someone else to take the blame was only a logical extension of the crime in Hellboy eyes. But why the disparity in the methods used? If you wanted to blame it on a man with scissors for hands, the common sense would dictate to use only scissors. Was it a case of overzealousness or not everyone was on the same page?

From what Lt Falman said, the way the place was trashed was only used the third time, the previous ones were plainly sabotage. So why change the method to blame some unconfirmed legend? Or maybe, it wasn't the same group who did it this time around? Too many inconsistencies.

Hellboy then picked up a mechanical part that came from one machine in the dumpsters. Hellboy did not know what it was or what it was used for but he would bet his next pay that it wasn't supposed to be bent like that. The piece of metal indicated that it had been torn from the machine and not dismantled, but what Hellboy was looking for was fingerprints or scissors dents in this case and found none. The scrap metal was covered in grease and dirt, you could see hand prints on it, and from the size of it, they were made by an adult human wearing gloves, probably the inspectors and/or the cleaning crew. The police would have kept it if there was anything incriminating on it. But it also meant that whoever or whatever tore that from the machine did not have scissors for hands. You need a good grip on something if you want to tear it and if the person who did this has scissors for hands, he sure did not use them for this.

So what does all this told Hellboy… Jack shit if not the fact that whoever did this, did a poor job to incriminate someone else. A fervent effort to destroy but a botched up attempt at shifting the blame. He wasn't even clear if whatever that did this was humans or not. Many things pointed out that this should be an investigation for the BPRD, but at the same time humans could be really ingenious in their mischief when they wanted. And in more than one cases, where he would have sworn it the culprit was of paranormal nature until it was proven otherwise. Maybe he should look to recruit those guys on that TV show for the new team, what were they called again…? Oh yes, The MythBusters.

Hellboy let out a sigh. Sometimes having too much experience in this job made you second-guessing everything. Why would his first job coming back wasn't a strait shoot them up kind of mission?

Hellboy and Havoc had finished with everything else outside, next came the small portables buildings, their broken windows covered with plank and cardboard. They climbed up the stairs that led to the door, opened it and were left staring at darkness; the lights of the construction site weren't making it inside. Hellboy palmed the nearest wall by the door looking for a light switch but his fingers kept feeling little notch in the paint and the wood. Finally, he found it and apparently there was no power. The only option left was their spotlight and what the beams of light revealed left them dumbstruck.

The destruction outside was nothing compared to what was left of what looked like the mangled corps of an office. The place was totally and utterly trashed. And he thought that what had been done outside was overzealous? Then here, they went completely bananas. It was like some out control lawnmower was set loose on the walls, the ground, the furniture and even the celling. Freddy vs. Martha Stewart.

Lt Falman's tale failed to even describe the level of damage that was done here. Sure it looked like the clean-up crew had passed before them but barely. They only came to take what they could take to the dumpsters, or maybe they had given up on saving anything else.

"Man… I saw tornados and hurricanes make less of a mess." commented Havoc. Hellboy only nodded to say he agreed with the other agent and went inside.

There was broken glass that crunched under his boots. In a corner he could see a large scratched desk that was broken in the middle. Pieces of paper lying about everywhere, some were big enough to make out part of the blueprints. He bent down to pick one of them; it looked like it was a cut out in the shape of man like the symbol you see on public toilet doors, to be followed by his brother, his sister, cousin, nephew, aunt, uncle and so forth. The garland was made from a single piece of paper folded like an accordion.

"What do you make of that?" Ask Hellboy. Havoc could only stare in incredulity at it. Someone had a twisted sense of humour apparently.

Inspecting the scratches and gouges on the walls Hellboy made the remark about the disparity of the marks form those outside to those found here and also that given the consistency in the overall mess that was the room, the damages was probably done by only one person. But there was also something else that was different from the damage outside. The room was missing the obvious display of unnatural strength in their destruction, having mainly concentrated on cutting, scratching, overturning and smashing thing into one another but without any of the feat of strength seen outside.

Havoc also mentioned that he had seen similar traces on the machines when he did a closer inspection, but in far less quantity than this.

The fact that the room was seemingly destroyed by only one person could be explained by the fact that the room was relatively small and one person would be enough to do the work here when there was much more to be done outside, so one of the culprits probably began outdoor before taking on the building alone. It only confirmed the theory that there was more than one criminal in this case and Hellboy had a strong suspicion that they were not humans. But was it relied to the changeling exchange happening in town right now? Changeling could be strong and somewhat destructive on properties in some cases, but have hardly ever shown a tendency to act into a coordinated group like the one who happened at this construction site. And to put it simply, it wasn't their style.

So what does a construction site and changeling could have in common. And while he was at it, he did not actually know what the site was for. Wonder why Falman did not tell them that detail. Heck, why didn't he ask that earlier? It was an important detail after all. Why did he keep turning around that particular detail and never get over it. It's almost as if something was…

Hellboy train of thought was interrupted once more by a message on the radio.

"Red, this is Hughes. There is lot of traffic in the police air waves. There seems to have another kid that disappeared from his home not ten minutes ago and this time there is no ugly mug that have been left to cover their trail. But there is more… From the research you gave us to do earlier, it sounds like it's scissors-man who did it."

* * *

Policeman Falman had also received the news on his radio and he had met the other two halfway toward the exit. He was now leading them toward the latest address of the kidnapping in a hurried jog. Hellboy had given the order to Hughes to dispatch Abe on that location immediately. The fresher the site the better Abe will be able to get a clear reading on it with the hope that this time there would be tracks left to follow.

After having hurriedly jogged for a few blocks in hope to arrive as soon as possible, they observed that the vehicle of Abe and Armstrong was already there with about three other police cars.

Hellboy signalled Havoc to take a look on the outside while he and Falman made their way inside. A police man guarding the front entrance let them through directing them upstairs. Once there, they passed more policemen and tearful parents who panicked even more upon seeing Hellboy despite the effort of the various peoples around them trying to calm them down. There was also a detective in a trench coat at the entrance of what looked like a baby room. He was talking on the phone and seemed aggravated to see Hellboy arrive but did not comment and signalled them to enter.

In a low murmur Hellboy said the first thing that came to his mind: "Craaaaaaaaaap"

Having seen the construction site earlier and hearing what Hughes had said on the radio, which was not much, Hellboy had an idea of what to expect here but maybe it was because the room was fully lighted or maybe it was because it was a kid room rather than a construction site office but this crime scene held way more impact than the previous one.

It was like an adult tiger on Red Bull tried to escape from here.

For Lt Falman, his dread about this night becoming like a slasher movie reinstated itself.

Just like the office at the construction site, the place was trashed beyond recognition but here nobody had the time to do the clean-up. Only this time the marks seemed more… aggressive. But at least there was no blood.

Already in the room, Armstrong was on all four trying to inspect under a drawers probably in search of some clues and Abe was holding his hand on the baby crib trying to sense anything from the particularly abused piece of furniture. In fact everything related to the baby seemed to have get even more attention from the vandal than the rest. Maybe to give a message or something. Hellboy joined Abe to talk with him.

"Got anything Abe?"

"Noting precise", answered the fish man. "Just a lot of emotions, anger and glee mostly from the kidnaper, fear from the child and from the parents as well."

'Uh-oh. Not good' thought Hellboy as he heard that. It's never a good thing when a maniacal kidnaper took pleasure in his work. While he knew that all the children would not be harmed under the care of changeling, this time it was no changeling that did this.

"Kidnaper as singular?" pointed out Hellboy.

"Yes, I can tell that this was done by only one individual."

"Hum… and what else?"

"It was done about 30 minutes ago and about five before the parent discovered the room like this and called the police. I don't get any images or flashes of what happened here, which is strange because seeing the violence used here I should normally be able to see something. I think that whoever did this can mask his presence from me."

"Did the parents heard or saw anything?"

"Not at all, they said it was the fact they did not hear anything from the girl in a while that the mother went to check on her. As she was saying, the little girl was teething and was crying frequently. They didn't even hear anything on the baby monitor they had with them downstairs, and yes, I checked the monitor was open when we got there and it worked properly. They were not lying but I found that the kidnaper put them under some kind of hypnosis."

"What would you say if I told you that I just came from a completely vandalized construction site with a small portable building looking just like that?" said a completely blazé Hellboy.

"I would say that I need to see that place as soon as I am done here." Answered an intrigued Abe.

Armstrong who was now back on his feet let out a hum with his gruff voice: "Huuumm, do you think there is a link with the other kidnappings? It doesn't seem like the same modus operandi than the other cases."

Hellboy counter argument: "There are too many coincidences here."

"Maybe they changed method after they saw we were on their trail and decided not to bother with secrecy anymore." suggested Armstrong.

"I think your half right here Alex." explained Hellboy "The site was trashed almost a week ago before any changeling started to reveal themselves. Whoever did it was trying to put the blame on a local bogeyman, 'the man with scissors-hand' and after we came into town, someone takes away a kid and makes such a show of it? I think we are being misled guys."

"So our culprit is either the changelings or the bogeyman is real and he's the one who did this." concluded Armstrong.

"Not even sure the bogeyman exists, there are many conflicting details at the site. We need more information about this." said Hellboy as he took his radio. "Hughes this is Red, do you copy?"

The radio crackled and Maes Hughes was heard on the other end of the air wave: "What can I do for you boss? If it is about my daughter I…"

Hellboy cut him before he could lift-off into daddy land: "No Hughes, I need that report I asked earlier about the man with scissors-hand."

"Well, we found out that he is real at least. He was some kind of freak show that turned up around here in the mid '50s, with no identity or social security number, just one or two small paper clippings about his appearance in the neighbourhood and something about dog grooming with no photos in the archives. We got more on the police front, there's a case of theft that Schiezka is trying to get form the court but let me tell you that getting something from them at this hour is a miracle on it's own. The guy on the phone wasn't to please to have to get up. Well it'll take more time for that, but we have a police report that says there was a lynching mob because he assaulted a kid. There was also an altercation with a college student and they both died when the floor collapsed in the mansion. The reports are not too clear and it looks like the cases were hurriedly closed for some reasons, probably to keep things quiet. The family of the student left for New Mexico. Elric and Heiderich managed to get about the same stories from the old lady that you met earlier. She kept raving about that people should mob the mansion again and burn the place down or other shit like that. By Elric description she sounded like a lovely old lady and he also said that next time you have an order concerning a senile old cow, you can keep it..."

"AHEM." Hellboy, stopped the operator.

"I did not say it I am just transmitting the message as it is" replied Maes with mirth.

Hellboy reviewed the small report in his head to make sure he got it all and remarked a detail. He brought his radio up to his lips once more.

"What mansion?"

"I don't know." answered the all too enthusiastic father, "The police report only mention it like that «the mansion»."

Getting no answer from that end Hellboy turned toward Lt Falman who had remained standing in the doorway and kept silent the whole time and now awkwardly felt that the attention was now on him.

And so, Hellboy asked him: "Lt Falman, do you know what mansion he was talking about?"

Finding the question rather easy, Falman relaxed and confidently answered with a smile: "Sure."

Hellboy stared.

Falman stared back.

"… and…?" inquired Hellboy like talking to someone who had problem following the conversation.

"And what?"

"The mansion."

"What mansion?"

"The mansion we were talking about in the report." Strained Hellboy to a Falman he felt wasn't really here anymore.

"Oh! Yes the mansion. It's the old mansion on that is on the hill…Well it's not like there's another one."

"What hill?" You could compare the local geography with a table and you would need to go far to get any kind of elevation in the terrain.

"But … It's just there. I mean, you can see it from anywhere across town. We were even at it's base earlier." Said a truly confused Lt Falman.

Now the whole group were giving confused look to each other and Hellboy got out of the room hurriedly followed by the others. Once outside, he found a spot that gave him a good panoramic view. He turned a few time on himself, trying to spot anything resembling an elevation of the terrain. The others joined him and the red skinned detective was about to ask Falman what he was talking about the hill when in the corner of his vision, he spotted a dark fleeting mass that was obscuring parts of the city lights.

He quickly focused his eye on it and without blinking once, he turned.

How the fuck did he missed **THAT**! It was huge spire of dirt and rock coved in tree in the middle of a town! How do you hide that anyway? It was has obvious as a pimple in the face of an actress. No way, people didn't miss that kind of detail, not without makeup. Magical fay-like makeup and only the makeup artist know of it … and the family too, for they are used seeing her without makeup.

His staring brought the hill to the attention of Abe and the other agents who, judging by the surprised exclamation, just discovered the pimple.

"There's no way changelings can do that." exclaimed Abe, expressing the thought that was on the other agents mind.

Hellboy continued starring at the hill while thinking on how much effort was deployed on making people… forget, no… not noticed it, when he spotted something else at the top of the rock. Whatever that kept this place hidden from his sight before was coming from there because just staring at it made him want to think of something else, and his gaze slipping around it. But with enough concentration he saw what he was searching for.

In between the trees, he could see at this angle the roof of a big building and he would bet his right stony hand that it was the mansion that Hughes and Falman were talking about. Damn that was the most suspicious place in the whole town and having spotted it when they arrived earlier, he would have made a bee line for it. His detective sense was tingling and he needed to check something. He rummaged through his numerous pockets for the maps of the region. With the map in his hand he looked around a little more, checked the name of the streets and did some calculation with the position of the hill, which he remarked that it was a lot easier to spot once you knew it was there.

Hellboy picked the radio: "Hughes this is Hellboy."

"What can I do for you big guy?" Respond Hughes.

"I need you to check who is in charge of patrolling sector E21B3, E21B4 and… F21B3." Said Hellboy checking the map again

"No problem! Let's see, let's see… Hum… Euh… " There was a pause in Hughes speech and you could hear paper shuffling and then you could hear him ask something to Schiezka, witch started a heated discussion that our group at the house could not hear clearly, before a somewhat embarrassed Hughes picked up the mike again. "Hum, hehehe, funny thing big guy, it seems that we didn't assign anyone to that sector. I don't know why we skep over it but I'm going to correct it immediately. I am sending Clark and Bradley so…"

"Don't bother." Interrupted Hellboy. "Me and Havoc will go, keep digging for info on that scissors hands guy and make the round call every 15 minutes now. Also ask Archer if he could get more from the police, he should still be at the station. I want you to give all the informations to Abe, he is now in charge of finding who is Mister Clippers, I am going blind here and I want to know what I am dealing with and where to shoot."

"At the target." quipped Abe.

"Shut up."

Hellboy continued: «If we're not back from the house on haunted hill or if we don't contact you in one hour, get everyone and storm the place, do you copy?"

"…"

"Hughes, did you hear me?"

"… Yeah I heard you big guy, but we just received some news and you won't like it. Police got another call; there was another kidnapping just like the one in the house you're at. The place is shredded like it passed in a thresher."

"Crap."

* * *

Hughes turned toward Schiezka: "…What hill?"

* * *

Author note: Well here goes chapter five. At least it was done faster than chapter four. In this chapter I decided to focus more on the detective aspect of Hellboy job and I hope I manage to do that. Maybe some of you figured out the crossover by now and I think that I managed to make it believable or plausible at least. I would like to have your opinion on that and everything else you guys think of this fic, because every commentary helps.

Once again I must thank my co-author and beta Shiroyuki9 who posted this story in her account too.

Chapter six is on it's way and I will finally update my profile to keep you informed of my progress.

See ya.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Hellboy doesn't belong to us *^_^*

Rating: M just to be safe because eventually we'll have some scene of violence and because eventually we'll be dealing with mature subject matter.

Oh! And before I forget, this is "talking", this is 'thinking' and this is _talking in foreign language_. Have a pleasant read.

Hellboy - A place to belong

Chapter 6

Hellboy was staring at the same fallen metal gate he had seen when he was at the construction site earlier this evening, but now he recognized it for what it was. Earlier he was standing near the same graffiti covered wall and did not even bother to check on the other side. It would not have been difficult either, the wall made of round stone held together with concrete and was about as height as his waist.

The way the Fays had to keep their hideout secret was strange. The more anyone went near the place they want to keep secret the more they got distracted. The hill was there, in plain view but ones thought automatically classed it as unimportant and their mind came up with something else to distract them and their gaze slide on the view like oil on a glass ball. It would take a big amount of concentration to ignore the spell put on this place and find it on its own. But why would a company want to exploit the terrain? Or more like, how?

The reason is simple, that peculiar way to hide thing doesn't really work on pictures and maps, or maybe just enough for people to overlook it, but with enough exposure or if one had never seen the place in person they could bypass the first layer of defence. This is what happened for the construction site.

Falman explained on the way back to the site that the plan was to turn the mansion on top of the hill into a luxurious hotel in the first step of a project to change the slum neighbourhood into a posh one. Most of the promoters and investors probably never saw this place, only a terrain unused for years on maps. Money was invested and the construction company was pushed to begin the project creating a need to approach the hill strong enough to overcome the repulsing effect placed on the terrain.

It all came down to a clash of wills. But there is the expression 'seeing is believing'. Whatever the Fays are doing is stopping people from recognising and remembering something. It's hard to gather the will to go somewhere you don't even remember it existed. A perfect disguise by hiding in plain sight.

But what about peoples like Lt Falman or the other resident of the area? They seem to know about the big house on the hill. They live nearby and they know there is a hill with a house on top. The kids of the neighbourhood see it but never used the woody hill as a playground. Why the peoples living nearby weren't affected the same way strangers seem to be. If he had a theory about it, Hellboy would say overexposure.

There are two case figures here. First, there are the people who lived here before the 'spell' was put in place. They knew it existed but the new effect would make them avoid the place like a smelly dump and, as time would go by, they would have all died and the house on the hill would have faded from memory.

Second, they are people like Falman who moved around here some years ago and still know there is a hill. How? At first they probably didn't even realise there was such a thing in town, but even with the 'spell' in full effect they still caught glimpses of it, go near it, hear or read about it. So, it seems that this 'spell' isn't such a perfect defence after all.

Bits by bits the brain begin to erode the 'spell' and they became able to 'see' through it gradually without the big "punch in the face" realisation Hellboy and the other BPRD personnel add earlier. That way, they realise there is an hill, but human logic refuse to admit something this big could not be seen, so the human consciousness convince itself that they already knew about it all along. So the only parts of the 'spell' left in them are the need to ignore and avoid the place at all cost.

Just like Lt Falman was doing just before. The more Hellboy, Havoc and Falman were approaching the construction site, this time with the intention to go beyond it, the more the police man was getting distracted. Hellboy and Havoc were feeling it a little too, like they really had to do something else somewhere else even if they did not know what and the hill, in particular the house on top of it, was particularly hard to focus on but they managed to do it.

Poor Lt Falman wanted to go check something he thought he saw in an alleyway or had trouble following a conversation on the subject of that mansion like before when Hellboy was questioning him back at the kidnaping house. The more they approached, the more Falman became fidgety, nervous and distracted, even forgetting what they were supposed to do. Hellboy and Havoc had to keep reeling him in before he unconsciously fled the premise.

At the construction site, the policeman was sweating and even tried to convince them to abandon the idea even if he did not have a good reason and that even he admitted that there was a good chance that the children could be there. The very idea of climbing that hill was so averse to his conditioning that walking became more of a stiff intricate dance with too many steps made him barely advance forward. His mind was a jumbled mess of incoherent thoughts and his will was running of fumes made out of sense of duty as an agent of the law, worries about the children and not passing for a chicken in front of two other grown men.

Hellboy and Havoc took pity on him, asked him to stay at the construction site to wait for the others and make sure to report anything suspicious to the BPRD. It wasn't necessary, but if he accompanied them, he would suffer from a nervous stroke or brain melt down. The effect the news had on Falman was immediate and all the tension escaped from him in relief like vapour from a pressure cooker.

As Hellboy and Havoc stepped over the fallen rusted gate, Hellboy pondered Falman behaviour and very physical reaction to a psychologically induced effect and concluded that it could not be healthy to live too long around here. So much exposure could probably give brain cancer.

* * *

The dirt path up the hill was overthrown by vegetation long ago; weeds, thorn and foliage ruled as uncontested master of the road, making the trek up the hill slower than previously anticipated. You can add to that the steepness of the trail that snaked up the hill, combined with darkness and vegetation, made the travel up the pseudo-mountain… a pain.

Before this road lost its battle with nature, it was probably large enough to accommodate a large car with plenty of leeway, but now the forest on both sides was so thick that it formed a wall that arched over the road, forming a cathedral roof that let practically no light through. Tall and tick tree fought the few space left with their younger fellows that would want nothing more than pick up the axe themselves and bring down those old scrooges that monopolised the sun for so long and below them were bushes so dense and thorny that they could shave a warthog.

So Hellboy and Havoc each trekked in the ancient tire tracks to reach their goal. The 'spell' that repelled everybody to climb up the path was still in place but subdued at this point and growing weaker with every steps. A dozen feet from the gate below, they felt like they got over the worst part of it and by the time they would reach the house, they assume they shouldn't feel it anymore.

They eventually made it to the top and found a clearing in the forest barely lighted by the sparse light from the moon and stars that managed to pierce the clouds. And beyond that clearing was the… Havoc would have called it a small castle in ruin, but Hellboy being well-traveled has he was, would say that it looked more like a decrepit 19th century mansion. Being in the middle of the night did not help, but the duo could see that the building had seen better day.

They could see broken windows, damaged stone walls, caved in roofs, partial collapse of the turrets and half of one of the chimney was missing. Havoc would say that the place was a wreck; Hellboy would say that is was run-down.

Hellboy saw a lot of ruin in his career, from all over the world and all epoch and could say by estimating the style, apparent age of the structure that this place survived the passage of time pretty well; after all the walls were still standing and parts of the roofs were still holding. That place was from a time when the mentality was that if you build something to impose, you build solid. A principle applied to place of cults, castles, political symbols and prisons from around the world.

The only point Hellboy and Havoc would totally agree on was the total lack of taste.

Blocking their way into the mansion was a high stone wall covered in vine that was obscuring most of their view. The wall was higher than the one at the foot of the hill and there was no way to see what was over it without Havoc sitting on Hellboy shoulders. A situation that both agent would like to avoid if possible. (Because while the opposite would be funny to watch but would be impossible without Havoc slipping a disk or something.)

There was a couple of other differences from the wall below, like this one was devoid of graffiti and at some interval there was a column in the wall that had a stone statue of an animal on top. Each statue represented something different; there was a frog, a dog, a rabbit, a fish, different kind of birds, even an alligator standing up. A collection of misshapen animals with no relation between each other than being poorly chosen ornaments without a pattern.

But the masterpiece was probably the front gate. It was a poem about an unappealing front door that has taken form. It consisted of a double, heavy and sturdy, metal gate completely obscured by vine and other climbing plan that made impossible to see beyond it. The problem lay in the massive sculpted stone arch in which was encased the gate. It looked like an ancient Greek temple but someone decided to replace the sculpture of gods and Olympus by horrid gothic gargoyles and even more animal statues and bas-relief too. The whole thing was a mishmash of ideas that didn't belong together and looked like that the sole concept behind it was a failed attempt at scarring away peddler and Jehovah's Witnesses.

Speaking of small animals… They couldn't hear any, or anything else for what it maters. The air was devoid of the sounds normally associated with natural nightlife. They weren't even bothered by mosquitoes or moths, which should have flocked around them by now. For a while now, Havoc and Hellboy only eared their own heartbeat, like the place was holding it's breath in their presence. Both BPRD agents noticed that detail and were on alert. Was it because what was hiding here was scared or because the two agents were walking into a trap? They had to continue because their goal was right in front of them.

They approached the gate and found it slightly open. There was a "keep out" sign lying on the ground. There was also a broken chain hanging from the gate. It looked quite rusty but it wasn't the cause of the break. It had been torn, not cut, and without damaging the gate. It was like the damage seen in the construction site, where multitude of mechanical parts and other objects seemed to have been torn and bent by something of considerable strength.

Even more than before, Hellboy knew they were on the right track.

The gate opened with little resistance coming from the rust and the vegetation and they stepped into the inner courtyard. At that moment, by every cinematic convention, the cloud parted way to let the full moon light reveal one of the most unsuspected scene the two agents had in their respective career. In between the mansion and the wall behind them was one of the loveliest gardens they ever saw.

It was magnificent. The perfect example of what you could accomplish with gardening. It was huge garden, maybe the size of four or five tennis court put together, but it was filled with patches of colourful flowers complementing each other's, perfectly trimmed green grass, small trees and topiaries. Lot of them in all kinds of shapes and sizes; one was an impressive sea serpent undulating in grass, another was shaped like a jumping squirrel, this one like a proud stag and others were shaped like birds of many kinds. All of them screamed a lifelikeness that spoke of all the efforts and cares put into them.

But the masterpiece was surely the one shaped like a human right hand, palm up toward the sky, fingers bend like it was ready to grab something… the details, the angles of the fingers, the proportion… is looked like it was going to move any minute now.

The moon light shined on every part of the garden giving it a magical glow that left the two men breathless. It even matched with the castle despite its disrepair state with green moss growing out of the walls and flowery vines climbing up window. Sure the windows were broken and the walls had crack with pieces of mortar missing in places, but it didn't matter, because everything matched like it was in a pretty painting that surrounded them in 360 degree.

After the wild invasive vegetation and the ass ugly front gate, the contrast left them speechless. They advanced slowly, looking all around them not believing that such a piece of heaven could be hiding there.

But even if it was enchanting, it left Hellboy even more perplex. A lot of fay and spirit liked their habitat to be surrounded by nature, but very few preferred man made garden like this one. Some are known to help farmers to keep their crops healthy and free of parasite in exchange of some type of offering. There are some stories about fay living in garden made by human with lots of flowers but here… He wouldn't be surprised if some help maintains this garden in shape, but the base work was done by something else.

Every detail said that it was a human that have made this. Hellboy had seen arts done by the fare folks before and it didn't look like that. Was there a human living here, in the middle of a human repelling mountain? Was he stuck here? Where the fares folks keeping him here or it was that person that was responsible for what was happening in town?

So far, coming here gave him even more questions than answers. Hellboy and Havoc made it to the other side of the garden at the door of the building that was situated atop of a small flight of stairs. The door was old as expected, but it was made of wood shaped like an ark at the top with even ticker metal hinge that extended over the door plus a handle that looked like it belonged on a manual water pump. It fitted with the Victorian aspect of the house but looked like it could withstand medieval time too, which mean that it was tick, solid and short of a battering ram, nobody get pass through when its closed. Hellboy could probably break it being the modern walking equivalent of a siege weapon. But having decided to use gentler method to enter, after all nobody likes having his front door demolished, it generally made everybody inside tense and more trigger happy. And his experience also teaches him that you never know when you will need a good thick and durable door between you and the thing that want to use your skull as a tea-cup.

Next solution was the lock. No luck here, it was rusted shut, so forget about a lock pick it's a crowbar that's needed. The lock was built like the rest of the door with the principle of 'if you can force me open, it means that the whole place heard you by now bitch'. So it left Hellboy with one of the tactic he used frequently: twist the handle until something gives and pretend it was already broken when he found it. A tactic that was used more than once on his father candy stash when he was younger and on Manning liquors cabinet in later years.

So that's why he felt a little silly when the door moved without any resistance as he was reading himself to put his weight into it. Mentally face palming themselves, it seemed that none of them thought to check if the door was actually locked.

So they were ready to enter the building guns and flashlight in hands, they gently push the door wider and enter the building, senses in alert for any sign of danger but unknown to them a dark figure was observing them from the window two stories above the doors that over looked the garden. Once it could not see the two intruders anymore, it retreated into the darkness.

The two agents wondered what they would find after such a wonderful garden. And what they saw stopped them right in their tracks, dumbstruck. It was Hellboy who resumed the situation perfectly after a minute of being flabbergasted.

"... Wow. Keep the gardener but ditch the maid."

* * *

And unknown to those three, a fourth pair of eyes watched the whole thing. One of the horrible gargoyle stone statues that were perched on one of the many pillars surrounding the garden began losing cohesion. It looked like it was melting upward, its colors changing from mouldy pigeon feces stained rock to white skin and bright cloths. The horrible grimacing gargoyle was transforming into a grinning Calliban. But the psychotic look on his handsome angelic face was as frightening as the expression he was bearing as a statue.

All that rushing around to get those extra snot nosed kids up here was a pain and making sure that it was only the demon that climbed the hills didn't worked as planed but he could easily deal with the human. And if everything goes wrong, he still had a plan as a last resort.

The changeling was cackling as his scheme was coming together and soon he would be rid of this hulking red giant and that horrible nuisance that stained his air for far too long now. With them gone, it will be a synch to get rid of those humans and the rest of the inhabitants of the manor will finally answer only to him.

He morphed into an owl and flew toward the top of the mansion where he knew the rest of his plans will unfold.

And the moon in the sky, once again responding to the law of drama, shrouded itself in black stormy cloud.

* * *

You could say a lot about the situation but none would fit better than having too much expectation make life throw you a curve ball. Make sense? Not really? Good then because that is exactly how Hellboy was interpreting the place. How could someone that got such a lovely patch of grass outside, so organise and clean, live in such a dump? No, dump is not the appropriate term for it. You expect a dump to be messy with mountain of garbage and the smell of a thousand public bathrooms, but here it was just dirty.

It was huge, to say the least, cavernous even, with the roof of the room disappearing in the darkness of the rafter about three stories higher, the giant windows they have seen from the outside were on the wall to their right and a big curvy stair to their left. The walls and the floor were made of stone and concrete with a sharp but functional looks, all in square angles with wide flat surfaces and the ever impression that this place was built to withstand a siege.

It was a strange room, everything that you would normally find a room was replaced by machinery, dusty, full of spider webs and rats dropping. It looked like everything that wasn't nailed to the floor or useless had been taken away.

It was probably a ballroom that had been converted into some kind of factory straight from a steampunk novel. Gears of all sizes covered the far end wall and extended to the roof and turned the corner to cover the last wall of the room. To that you add boilers, pipes, valves, leveller and every other mechanical knick-knack you could think of. Closer to the center of the room, there was a long workbench with some tools and unachieved projects that were left collecting dust and cobwebs. There was also a metal rack in the middle of the room that was empty but upon closer inspection Hellboy found out that until recently it was holding several objects. The dust had been perturbed on the rack and the cobwebs were broken. But the stranger part was that there was no foot print in the dust beside his and Havoc.

Further in the room was a treadmill with a lot of mobile parts hanging over it, with what looked like an oven at the end. Hellboy walked around the contraption, illuminating it with his flashlight to determine what it was for. The design didn't look like anything he ever saw, with some parts looking like oddly shaped automatons that were equipped with kitchen utensils.

The setting was really different than what they expected after the garden… Like the garden was different from what they were expecting after climb the mountain and seeing the exterior of the manor. It was to wonder what they will find next and Havoc wouldn't be really surprised if the next thing they found was a wax museum or an ice rink.

They continued to walk around the room, trying to not leave out anything uninspected before going to the next room in hope to find some clues about this place, when they heard a loud creak coming from the ceiling, like someone stepped on the wrong plank when trying to not make any noises. Both agents looked up and pointed their flashlight toward the noise discovering something they didn't see from the entrance. There was a gaping hole in the floor of the attic; almost a quarter of the ceiling was missing. They both looked at each other from across the room and Havoc tilted his head toward the stairs to ask if they're going to go to search for what made that sound, while he was removing the safety of his weapon. There was a saying in the BPRD: "An agent who is ready for anything is an agent that will live longer", but the part they never say aloud is: "Even if it's only for two more minutes".

Hellboy made sign to wait while he contacted the others, it was time for the periodic report and it wouldn't hurt to have some back up… for Havoc's sake.

The horned detective took his radio and said in the quieter voice he could: "Hughes, this is Red, do you read me? We made it to the mansion and we think there's someone here. We need back up."

The radio only gave static as response.

"Hughes, do you read me? ... Hughes?"

* * *

The BPRD car was speeding toward its next destination, grilling a red light in the process. Armstrong was in the driver seat, but being the tall and huge man that he is, that the wheel was almost brushing his moustache. Armstrong looked like a cow that manage to squeeze itself into an air duct, driving the much too small for him car like he was doing the Paris-Dakar rally in the suburban road. Abe, in the passenger seat, was rocking from the speed bump that did nothing to slow the speeding bullet at all. He was mulling over every details of this case while holding on the handle bar in their car as it was making a tire squealing turn for the next house. Time was of the essence.

After the prompt leave from Hellboy for the manor, Abe and his partner wrapped the inspection at the house and departed for the construction site to compare what Hellboy and he respectively saw. Arriving a little after Hellboy team, (he wondered how that was possible with the way Armstrong was driving while Hellboy was on foot) he and Armstrong found a sheepish looking Lt Falman who was left behind. He tried to be useful and give them a quick tour of the place and, while there, they received a call from Schiezka informing them that there was another household that had a missing kid and a vandalized room.

He told Schiezka the he would visit this new house after he was done with the site and the other house and would keep investigating them in the order they've been hit. This way he would not miss anything that could help them solve this. So they rushed to the first house where they found, well… more like didn't found, a kid. Once there, he confirmed with the psychic trace left behind, that the last two kidnappings were indeed done by the same individual but the vandalism was done by a group of individual. The traces were older and to numerous there, contaminated by all the people that passed there after the actual crime. Even if the style of vandalism looks the same, he couldn't confirm that the one who's kidnapping children right now was at the construction site when it happens. But he would bet his left foot that he was there. Abe guts instinct was telling him this.

Abe was beginning to wonder if Armstrong was not going a little bit too fast from the twelve foots long rubber mark they left behind at every turn and the strong smell of burning tires. Armstrong had always been an enthusiastic man, even in his driving; you could see the sparkles in his eyes.

The radio ringed as Armstrong veered left to dodge a cat crossing the street, got on the side walk, missed a mail box, gave the lady in the oncoming traffic the scare of her life and made an impressive drift, that produced way too many G's for such a tiny car. They were heading toward the main avenue where Armstrong was assuring him was a short cut. Abe prayed that it wasn't them that were going to cut short and once he was sure that his stomach was nowhere near his gills, answered the radio.

"This is Abe, what going oOoOoOoOoOn" tried to say Abe as Armstrong somehow found a small flight of stair to pass through a park. Abe could swear he saw a guy flying into a tree to escape the rampaging car. Maybe his arms and legs moved too fast for the eyes to see.

"We got a couple of info for you Abe, so you want the good news or the bad news?"

"The bad one, IT COULDN'T BE WORSE THAN ME RIGHT NOW!" replied Abe fearing for his life.

They re-joined the traffic once more, in a one way street. In the wrong way, of course, still full of vehicles despite the hour. This time Armstrong didn't bother to dodge and figured that if he pressed on the klaxon hard enough while rolling dead set ahead the others would do it for him.

"The first one is, we got another case. There's another kid who's gone missing."

"OH MY GOD!" Said Abe as the one way lead to a four lanes boulevard where Armstrong was back to avoiding the other cars by himself… By slaloming the four lanes, even the two going the opposite way.

"Yeah, I know what you mean Abe, that bastard work fast. What do you think is going to happen to those kids?" carried on an oblivious Hughes.

"Gonnadiegonnadiegonnadie!"

"Now, now Abe, let's stay positive. We are going to bring those kids back safe and sound. The next bad news is that we lost contact with Hellboy's team, we were waiting for their call and when they did not do their periodic report, we tried to reach them. No answer. I think something is jamming the signal. I just sent the Cyclops and Mustang's team to the hills."

"Aaaaaaargh." The traffic was slowing down (not them) because there was another construction site ahead of them that reduced the four lanes to two. And on that site was a big pile of gravel with two mysteriously well placed planks transforming it into a make shift ramp.

A tibit of information about Armstrong that most people ignore is that he is a fan of the series _The Dukes of Hazzard. _He shifted the gears up and gunned the motor.

Hughes continued. "For the good news, we have progress on the research about that guy with the freaky hands." If he heard the big *TUT-THUMP* over the radio he did not comment on it. "Archer and Tucker found in the police archives who was the policeman of the case at the time and they managed to give him a call. They did not get anything new about the freak from the guy but he gave the name of the family who were the most implicated with him at the time. There is still one of the relative living around here. I will forward you the address on your laptop."

Hughes was about to conclude his report when Schiezka handed him a piece of paper.

"One last thing guys, the police is pursuing a guy going 120 mph in town doing all sort of crazy shit. The guy is a maniac behind the wheels so be careful on the road. "

"…" Abe was leaning heavily on the left almost onto Armstrong, his body completely limp, a big lump on top of his head. It was mostly due to the fact that the car was rolling only on two tires on the driver side as it stayed in equilibrium and Armstrong making use of it by passing in the incredibly tight space between two cars.

Foam was accumulating inside Abe respirator.

* * *

The radio wasn't working and that meant no back up for a while. Hellboy didn't know if he was glad for that or if he was worried for Havoc. He always prefer going in these situations alone, because he knew he could take it. More or less.

Damn, he had to play nice because the three of them came back, it meant that someone else had to be in danger when he could be the only one at risk.

The BPRD proved that they could handle things without him, Abe or Liz. Ok, they had over four time the mortality rate compare to when he was handling things, but they were doing good on their own… sort of.

And what about Liz and the kids? Can he really just jump back in the fray like before, doing is lone hero routine? Does having someone watching your back, even if you are marching to the gate of hell, is a good thing? But if something happened to Havoc he would feel responsible. And if something happened to him…

'Arrrrrgh! Now is not the time to have doubts about our return to the Bureau and beside that kind of thinking get you nowhere. I got to pull it together and figure this out after me and Havoc are out of this overgrown horror playhouse.' Hellboy signed Havoc that the radio was dead who in turn, promptly checked his own with no result. No choice they will have to do this alone.

Hellboy opened the march with Havoc behind and they began their search for their mysterious observer. They went back toward the entrance where the massive stone stairway, with artfully forged banisters, began. It was large enough that four persons the size Hellboy could walk side by side and it was curving sharply to the left before reaching the next floor that was about two and a half stories high by today standards.

Once they reached the end of the stairway they found to their right a small staircase and to their left a corridor leading toward another part of the house. With their flashlight they could see through the dusty air multiple wooden doors along the corridor. It looked like the residential area of the manor. Not seeing the end of it, they guessed they would have more to explore afterwards, not counting the rest of the ground floor. But the noise came from higher and right above the ball room, so it meant that they would have to take the staircase.

In the service staircase the only source of light came from their flashlights and this time the stairs were too narrow, they could barely go two at a time under normal circumstance… Hellboy not being a normal circumstance. A dangerous setting by any standards; there's not much space to manoeuvre if something decided to jump at them in this tight place. So Hellboy once again began to climb the stair, gun in one hand and lamp in the other, both pointing upward while Havoc climbed the stair close behind, his back against the wall so he could keep watch on their six.

Half-way up, the stair made a U-turn to their right and by the end of it Hellboy could taste that the air became fresher and see some light coming from a door way at the end of the stairs. He made it to the top and turned toward what was surely the attic. The room was vast and empty except for the wall's frames and the roof's rafters … or what was left of it. The right wall had caved in a long time ago making one hell of a light well for the room which explained the whiff of fresh air he gotten climbing here. The night was too cloudy to let much light in but it was enough for Hellboy who had a great night vision.

His eyes accustomed to the new light setting, he took another look around to get in more detail. The walls behind him, to his left and at the end of the room were made of stones. As for the right wall, who was also the roof, was made of ruff wood planks like the floor.

Annnnd that was it… a big freaky empty space. Oh! There was the huge missing part of the ceiling they didn't saw earlier. The hole on the floor was just to their right and devoured most of the right corner of the room, which left only a relatively small section one the left side to access the rest of the place.

Hellboy lowered his gun and finally stepped into the room and made sure that Havoc saw the wide hole. Neither said a word as they slowly advanced earing noting but the planks of the floor creaking under their weight. It was probably not a good idea to be there, since one part of the floor had already collapsed and the rest could follow at any time. But alas, no sign of whatever made the noise before.

Havoc made his way toward the 'natural' light well to see if anything might be hiding outside, while being very mindful of the black abyss in the floor.

Hellboy in his case spotted something about halfway into the room in the stone wall, well pass the gaping hole and about right in front of the missing part of the roof/wall, was what looked like a fireplace that had been converted into a sleeping place. There was a bunch of old dirty shredded sheets and drapes spread in the small alcove to sleep on.

But that was not all. The walls of the fireplace were completely covered in newspapers and magazine clips. There was no real pattern to them; it was a random gathering of animal photos, landscapes and various articles like that one about a kid being born without hand or eyes. Some of the papers he found on that wall were pretty old and the ink had faded away on many of them, but there were also more recent ones. And judging by the state of the nest, someone slept there recently. They came to the right place after all.

Havoc came to see what Hellboy found because his search for outside threat came out empty beside a small curious owl.

Hellboy was about to ask Havoc something when he perceived a movement at the border of his vision in the darkest corner of the room.

Hellboy had two reasons why he did not turn around in a flash to pepper whatever was in the shadow in cold iron bullets. One, he sensed no danger from the presence in the room, but the fact that he did not perceive it until now was worrisome. Two, he didn't know of a creature that live on bed and had scrapbooking as a hobby. It was something human does, or at least something with a human like mind. And who says human, says weapon and who says human plus weapon have a great chance to equal guns. Hellboy not wanting to alarm their would-be suspect and get crowned with a shotgun, began to straighten himself from the fire place and slowly turned to look.

There, in the far opposite corner, was a silhouette crouching in the shadows. Even now that he knew that he was there, he still could not see any details. It was too far and the sparse light coming from outside tricked their eyes and made a zone of darkness that Hellboy wasn't sure that Havoc still open flashlight could pierce. He tapped gently Havoc's shoulder and point to the figure in the small corner.

"Come out."

* * *

Just outside of the room, perched on the ledge of the building, looking at the scene before him, was a small owl that was jubilant. The shapeshifted Calliban was beside himself at the idea of being rid of that nuisance in his reign. Any ornithologists who would be looking at him would be greatly weirded-out. He was squirming in place like someone who really had to go relief himself but did not want to miss the good part of the show and was chanting softly to himself, not to loud to be located: "Yes! Yes! YES! YES! YES!"

But being and owl at the moment sounded like: "Hoot! Hoot! HOOT! HOOT! HOOT!"

* * *

"We just want to talk." continued Hellboy, earing no response from the hiding figure. He was about to call out to it once more when it apparently decided to move. The figure slowly got up revealing a fairly tall and slim man, who slowly advanced toward them. They could see that his outfit was as dark as the shadows that were hiding him. He was walking with his arms at his sides, slightly away from his body. Further into the light and the two agents caught a gleam of light reflecting on something metallic near his left hands.

The suspect had a knife! Multiple knives! He was holding a bunch of them!

The agents discreetly reaffirmed the grip on their gun and readied themselves to face off any possible attacks.

A final step forward and a pearly white face but full of small scars framed by a mane of black hair with an astounded look on it asked them: "Are you Miss Avon?"

* * *

Outside, a small owl face planted.

* * *

Author note: Hell yeah, we manage to publish this chapter. Many thing got in the way but, such as 'real life', video game and plain lack of time. But we did it. This chapter was one big experiment in how I describe scenery or rooms. I also let myself go in some part of the story and made it less serious and more humoristic. Some part are plain silly but I could'nt get around them because I find that they fit in the whole just as they are. Beside I thought the last chapter was way to serious to my taste. So Hellboy and our mysterious figures finaly meet. For those who gessed it, this is Edward from the movie Edward Scissorshands directed by Tim Burton. The whole fic began with this idea: What would happen if Hellboy and Edward met? I hope I manage to make that possible in a belivable way. Since then, many more idea have been added and we are nowhere near done, so expect a lot more. I would like some feed back on this chapter to help me see what I could do to make the next one better.

I hope you liked it, and I will try to publish the next one sooner (no promise there.)Oh! And I need to say thank to my co-author and beta who have done a wonderfull job of hammering this story in something that is readable.

Thank and see ya!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Hellboy doesn't belong to us, neither does Edward Scissorshand and Fullmetall Alchemist *^_^*

Rating: M just to be safe because eventually we'll have some scene of violence and because eventually we'll be dealing with mature subject matter.

Oh! And before I forget, this is "talking", this is 'thinking' and _this is talking in foreign language_. Have a pleasant read.

Hellboy - A place to belong

Chapter 7

Calliban was on the verge of an apoplexy crisis. No, he was closer to 'appalled' by how stupid that damned monster could be. That is not how you are supposed to react when the famous demon that turned against his own kind and slayed hundreds of its kin's came looking for you!

And what's an 'Avon representative' anyway!

'Calm down, calm down... the plan didn't change. That damned 'fake' his going to get killed for sure, then all the attention of the human will be diverted and I will be able to execute the rest of my scheme un-interrupted._'_

* * *

It was a still woozy Abraham Sapien that walked up the front porch of the apartment building while Armstrong was in a deep and philosophical discussion with the police forces about his driving techniques that were also on the phone with Clark who trying to stop them from putting his subordinate in jail.

The blue lump on his head was throbbing like a mule was doing trampoline in his skull but he had to continue the investigation, for the sake of the children. He would kick Armstrong's ass later. The woman he was coming to see was apparently the sole relative of the family left in the region that were in the center of what happened with the mysterious man with scissors for hands that appeared from nowhere about some fifty years ago.

He made it to the door and ringed. Right after that he heard the pounding of small feet running across the house toward the front door which opened briskly to a little kid about four or five that playfully asked while giggling: "Who is it?"

From somewhere in the house he heard a women voice calling to the little guy to wait up and to not open the door like that.

And so Abe redirected his attention toward the kid to ask him if he could talk to his mother when he spotted the look on the little boy face. Mouth open and a half shocked half terrorize look on it.

'Oh great, this beginning nicely.' Sarcasm dripping from his own mind.

"I…" Began Abe but it was all he was able to say before the brat screamed loud enough to tear his ears clean off, if he had any.

"AAAAUUUUUUUGGGGHH !"

The kid slammed the door and run back into the house still screaming: "ROSE, ROSE MEGABYTE CAME TO EAT ME!"

Abe let out a deep meaningful sigh while holding his blue headache riddled cranium, which looked like it wasn't going to get better anytime soon.

* * *

Back at the manor, Hellboy despite the danger and knowing how ridiculous it sounded quickly checked down on himself.

About seven feet tall, check.

Right hand made of stone, check.

Ripped abs with red skin, check.

Huge gray military jacket, leather pant, pouch-belt with a giant gun, check.

The weight of his horns still present, check.

And since when does a gun is standard salesman accessories? Pressure sales much? He gave an even quicker glance a Havoc who was checking him out because he apparently had the same idea as him and thought who the hell would mistake Hellboy for an Avon representative.

Looking back at the... individual... in front of him who was waiting patiently in front of him apparently not thinking anything of the pregnant silence his question created. But Hellboy felt obligated to answer: ''Euh... No... Not really." Said a still confused Hellboy at having been mistaken for a 'Miss Avon'. He did not really know if he was supposed to be insulted or amused by it.

Havoc seemed to have found his answer: "Snort!" was all he could express while trying to suppress the immense hilarity he was experiencing. Hellboy though he heard a small 'sorry' hidden among the snickers and chuckles. Hellboy sent his best 'Shut the hell up and stay focused' stare from the corner of his eyes he could and observed the armed individual in front of him.

Well, as far as threatening an armed guy could be, this one was about at the level of a door with a fork stuck in it with a paper on it that said 'watch out someone may open me anytime'. Now that he was more into the light, Hellboy was able to take a better account of what he was dealing with.

He looked human enough but in this job, Hellboy learned that it didn't mean much. Tall but thin, not the under fed type but the build light and compact kind. His posture was non-threatening; in fact he looked ready to back away any minute now but was kept in place by his own curiosity. Which was showing on his face along with some worries? But no fear. 'Interesting' thought Hellboy.

He was also giving quick glances at his and Havoc's guns, but as long as they didn't move them the individual should remain calm.

But it did not change the fact that this was an unknown armed being in front of them and now that the first threat assessment of the individual was done, he could check for more details.

Hellboy trained eyes were drawn toward the hands of the individual. Now that he was checking more closely he remarked that it did look like he was holding them but they were stuck to his hands like an Indian bagh nakh or a Japanese tekagi-shuko. Or maybe it was closer to Freddy's glove but bigger blades. And Hellboy had a quick thought and wondered what could be said about him that he knew the name of just about every weapon on earth and that he has been at the wrong end of almost all of them at some points in his life.

He also took note that from his point of view the knives were uneven and somewhat a little rusty. Great, now he has to add tetanus to the worry of being gutted by Freddy's impersonator with an inferiority complex, that mixes up a body building horned red giant for an Avon salesman's, who's wearing... Oh boy...

The guy wasn't just wearing black. No, he was wearing black leather. Oh, Hellboy didn't have anything against leather clothes, not at all. In fact he preferred leather for pants over all other types of material. It's sturdy, flexible, can go with about anything or any occasion and he think he looks cool in them. AND the fire retardant proprieties are a definite plus when your girlfriend is a literal fire cracker with a short fuse. But Hellboy always drew the line when it came to looking like a S.M. practitioner.

The all leather jumpsuit the guy in front of him was wearing was enveloping him from chin to toes and was covered in crisscrossing belts, straps with metal rings, brass buckle, steel pin, etc. But Hellboy had to admit that rather being constrictive and made to block his movement, the suit looked like it gave him great mobility while being sturdy. Also, it looked like it was built to keep stuff in, like a second skin.

Feeling that the stranger was a little put off by them not being Avon representative and looked like he did not know where to go from here, Hellboy decided to take the opportunity and take back the conversation.

"What about you?" inquired Hellboy hoping to learn more about that guy and maybe de-confuse the situation.

"I not an Avon representative either." Replied the individual, who looked a little relived that the conversation got going. The tone of voice was so soft and calm that Hellboy wasn't sure he would have heard it if the place was practically silent. Beside them and the cracking of the building, the only source of noise was that really vocal bird outside.

Hellboy and Havoc gave a flat stare and did not know how to take that answer. But that ghostly white face hallowed by that mop of blow out black hair had a complete sincere and innocent look on it. He wasn't lying or making fun of them on purpose. Maybe Hellboy didn't formulate the question correctly.

"Humm, ok then, what is your name?" No way to get wrong with that one.

"My name is Edward." was the answer. The being now named Edward seemed to hesitate before continuing, as if he wasn't sure what he should be doing. "What about you?" he asked back and even if he kept the same soft voice, the question strangely sounded as Hellboy said it before.

'Ok some progress` though Hellboy let's try this. "I am Hellboy and this is Havoc, we're from the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence and we are here for an investigation. Would you mind answering some questions?" carefully observing their suspect as he was saying it.

The aforementioned Edward did not seem to have any reaction to their names nor their occupation and while still seeming a little wary of them he did not seem to have any objection for a questioning, so Hellboy took that as a no.

"Ok, not to be rude but … what are you?" Hellboy asked in is typical direct manner, but that question was rather important, and the answer even more so. Will he try to avoid the subject and divert the conversation or maybe he will arrogantly answer and reveal what he is, his plan and how superior he is like an arrogant buffoon or maybe he will simply lie. There is much to be said on the psychology or intelligence of someone when answering a question like that.

And to Hellboy expectations, Edward promptly answered with an attitude and confidence in its voice that would lead anybody to believe it was the easiest question in the world.

"I am me."

Hellboy and Havoc: "..."

That answer was deep, full of meanings and not helpful at all. Hellboy hoped that they didn't stumble on one of those philosophical hippy types. Hellboy disliked them because it was so hard to get a straight answer; they always get cryptic and you always ends up leaving with more questions than you had before and even fewer answers.

"I meant what species?" Tried Hellboy to be more specific.

"I don't know." If this 'Edward' was lying, Hellboy knew some professional card player that would kill mother and father for a poker face like that.

Hellboy and Havoc: "..."

"Where are you from?" Continued Hellboy.

"Here." Hellboy was generally all for short and simple answer himself, but he would be really appreciating if the other guy could start to elaborate a little more.

"You were born here?"

"No, I was build here. See, I am not finished yet." He said lifting his arms.

* * *

On his side Abe was having a way better time with his investigation. Well… after clearing the initial misunderstanding that is. The young lady he came to meet was watching the young kid of the neighbour this night, and once she managed to calm him down, Abe was able to explain who he was and that he came here to investigate some things related to her family and what was happening right now in town. And despite her initial surprise and wariness she accepted to talk with him.

"Well… uh please, sit down. Would you like a cup of coffee? We have also have tea if you prefer." asked the young lady in her early 20s, with brown hair and grey eyes. She had a pretty face and was what Abe would call thin and petite. And even with the whole situation of having a fishman sitting in her living room, she was keeping her calm.

"A glass of water if you please would be greatly appreciated. The ride coming here was… exhausting." He answered thinking of that psychopath on wheel that his Armstrong, who was still left outside to deal with the policeman. The young woman came back with a glass and sat straight on the edge of a couch opposite of his.

"Once again thank you for accepting to meet me, Miss Tringham. Allow me to introduce myself again, my name is Abe Sapiens and I work for a governmental agency named the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence."

This time, Abe introduction seemed to trigger something in her memories. "Ah. I remember now, I saw you on the news last year. You were… The toilet seat guy!" Remembering the nickname the news gave Abe when they got exposed to the public by Hellboy. Abe was hoping that the name wouldn't stick too much longer.

"Ah, hum… yes, that's the monikers the media gave me when our existence became known to the public, but it's not a toilet seat, it's a respirator that help me breath. But to return to matter that brought me here, we at the BPRD investigate case concerning events and criminal case that the major part of the population would consider supernatural or mythical even. And in our investigation we came across some elements that have ties with your family in the in Suburbia. You see, in the mid-fifties both of your great grandparents and your grandmother were apparently involved in a case with…"

"A man with scissor-hands." finished the Miss for Abe with a smiling faraway look on her face. "You're talking about Edward Scissorhand aren't you?" she asked back.

Abe was taken by surprise with that one: "Ed… Edward?"

"Yes, that was my favourite story that my grandmother was telling me when I was young. She was telling it with such details and emotions … it always felt so real. You won't believe how surprised I was when I found out that it was all true."

"All true? You mean the murder and the assault made on the…"

Once again the young lady interrupted Abe off: ''No, no, no! You got it all wrong, the newspapers twisted that story around, Edward wasn't the bad guy in that story."

Now Abe was confused: "Miss, are you talking about the fairy tale your grandmother was telling you or about the event that happened fifty years ago?"

"Oh, sorry I didn't express myself right." she apologised. "Let me start from the beginning. You see when I was young my grandmother used to tell me this story about the man with scissors for hands that lived in the castle on the hill. It was my favourite story and I got never tired of hearing it. And since I loved that story so much, when my grandmother died I inherited a box that contained all the things she collected concerning Edward. There are her journals, videos recording, newspaper clips and some art crafts. About everythings she could find about him so that she could remember. Oh, where did I put that box, I think it's in the closet down the hall…"

"Miss, could I see those? It could be really important and I also would like if you could tell me the story please."

* * *

Across town, there were three teams of our BPRD personnel that were struggling to climb the hill. To say that they were having a harder time than Hellboy and Havoc to escalate the trail was a euphemism. Once they met at the construction site, it took Lt. Falman a good five minutes to make his report to the six agents; it was an understatement to say that he was quite relief when they told him that he didn't have to remain on the premises. And then that's where the real problems started.

It was hard enough to fight the influence of whatever was making their mind want to do a U-turn and do something else than climbing this impossible trail. As the higher they were getting the denser the vegetation was getting. And trickier too. The tall grass seemed to grasp at their ankles to make them trip into thorny bushes so sharp that their pants were showing signs of rips and holes. They kept getting there hands on poison ivy and other vegetal irritants. The thickets and copse were so thick that they would need a machete to have any hope of getting through. Large trees kept blocking their way so they constantly had to weave around them making it even more impossible to tell if they were still on the right track. Did Hellboy and Havoc trek through all this earlier? If they did there was no indication that they passed through here.

Leading the troops Clark and Bradley were followed by Mustang and Hawkeye and closing the march were Heiderich and Elric, the later complaining that the BPRD standard field equipment should include a chainsaw. Mustang who was now completely drenched even with the cool night air was thinking about the same thing as Shorty but he would do it with a flame thrower instead. That way he wouldn't have to deal with all this annoying greenery. No matter how long they seemed to walk the peak was nowhere in sight and decided that maybe he should be leading the group since the one in front didn't seems to know where they were going.

"You know, I'm not sure it's such a good idea to be led in this forest by two guys with no depth perception. Because we should have reached the top by now."

Clark looked back at Mustang, glaring at him while Bradley who had a much cooler personality let the barb slide like water off his back.

"Shut-up Mustang, I asked for silence before we entered those woods," barked back Clark looking back at the line while still advancing, "and that mean you too Elric, we are on a mission for Christ's sake. And I would like you to know that my depth perception is fi***WHAM***"

Agent Clark had collided face first and, oh surprise, on the side with his eye patch with a thick tree that was in his way. He could have swear that it wasn't there before he turned around to 'address' the others. And now the whole team was trying to repress their laughter.

"You were saying?" quipped Mustang, letting loose the more or less contain hilarity.

Clark who was drilling a hole in the tree with his glare, tuned toward the group and replied: "THAT tree wasn't there before. "

In is turn Mustang retorted: "Riiiiight."

"Need do I remind you people that we're dealing with magic here."

"Oh now you are just looking for excuses" said Elric in the back.

"Um-um, so you're telling me that you have seen a lot of eucalyptus growing wild in Florida?"

* * *

On the down side of the path where our struggling BPRD agent were arguing about botanic, two very little figures were hiding under a bush. Those two were responsible for all the troubles our heroes had to this point. They were respectively a very young Greenman by their standard and a rather ditzy Pixie.

The Greenman turned toward the Pixie and told him in their language: "_Idiot, that kind of tree doesn't grow around here! Now they suspect something!"_

_"Sorry, sorry. I'll do better next time."_

* * *

Hellboy who had leaned back in reflex at the sudden movement of Edward calmly gave an order: "Put those back down."

Hellboy was far from being an expert on prosthesis but he was pretty sure that it wasn't supposed to look like that. The knives he mistook earlier for some kind of weapon were actually several kinds of scissors built on mechanical articulation to resemble the general shape of a hand. And after seeing them up close, too close. Really, who waves a bundle of blade in front of people like that anyway? Oh. Right. Someone who only got scissors for hands. The 'hands' were all mechanical and continued under the sleeves. That meant it wasn't strapped on a stubble or if it was, god knows where those contraptions stopped. The hands moved from both inner articulation and motor force from within the arm like a normal hand and from strings attached to the scissors to make them open and close. The other ends of those strings disappeared inside the forearms at some point along it. The odds of him saying the truth about being 'built' just got higher.

Looking a little scared at the authoritarian tone Hellboy used, Edward complied without resistance. Seeing that he needed to relax the atmosphere once more before the situation could turn ugly. Hellboy also let go of his hand on Havoc shoulder that he grabbed the moment Edward moved, so he could prevent his fellow agent to raise his weapon. Hellboy gave himself a mental high five at his reflex and instinct did not rust too much in those months where the most dangerous thing he had to deal with were paparazzi, an Abraham that was going nuts from the lack of intellectual simulation and a moody pregnant Liz. He only barely escaped dead five times in all those months. Another person would have gone soft.

In order to keep Edward from retreating, Hellboy kept the conversation going: "So… you were built unh? Could we know by who?" asked Hellboy, trying to be nonchalant. If he could learn who was behind it, maybe he could project what to fay were up too and why build something like Edward.

And Edward responded in what Hellboy would now dub as, doing an Edward: Giving a simple, short and consistent answer that didn't answer anything.

"My father." was the reply.

'The fact that he identify it's creator as a father figure indicate the kind of relationships it had with it's builder. That probably means it wasn't built for a military purpose.'

"What's his name?" 'Will we have to play twenty questions all night?' thought Hellboy, as he was beginning to corner Edward way of thinking.

"Sir Reginald Alfred Farnsworth."

It was Havoc who raised the question: "Hum, is that some kind of fay name that I don't know about?" he asks perplexed. The question was valid for Hellboy in the sense that he came with the impression that they were working against fay here. Hellboy did not respond to Havoc interrogation and instead turned the question around to Edward: "Reginald Alfred Farnsworth is a human name?"

"Yes." he answered, clearly not seeing the want of the other two persons in the room that he elaborates a little more.

After a pregnant pose and a fail to deliver from Edward: "… What I meant was: Is your father human?"

"Yes he is." Hellboy once again read only complete honesty in Edward. But what could it mean? Wasn't it the fay who orchestrated all this?

"Can we talk to him?" Maybe it could lead them to it's creator. But if it comes to that, he and Havoc would likely be walking right into a trap.

"You can't. One day he went asleep and he did not wake up." responded Edward with sadness in is voice. Right now, in the sparse night light, that lone figure looked all the more alone in Hellboy eyes and felt some pity for him. That was a person in front of him, regardless of its origin.

But right now, the lives of numerous children could be at stake, so Hellboy steeled his resolve, and returned to the impassible detective that he is.

'So we have a human creator that is dead of unknown origin, but from Edward description and attitude, I would discard a murder or 'dead by its own creation'. A fate shared by many crazed inventors and mad scientists, in Hellboy observation.

"So, how long as he been asleep?" continued Hellboy in his interrogation.

Edward paused a moment as he was calculating something. "At least 954 moons."

Havoc was slightly faster in is calculation and told Hellboy: "About 76 years."

Hellboy needed more info: "This was his house?" Edward nodded in affirmation. "That would explain the disrepairs of the place. So that means you always lived here? Do you ever go out?"

"I go out in the garden sometimes."

"I meant down there, in town?"

At that, Edward looked… embarrassed? Or perhaps it was guilt? Or sadness maybe? Hellboy could not exactly tell.

"I went down there twice." He answered like he was confessing a crime that he was regretting.

Hellboy thought: 'Bingo.'

* * *

Just outside the giant hole in the roof, the small form of the transformed Calliban was holding it's breath. It could be it. 'Come on, that abomination practically confessed. Come on, KILL IT!'

* * *

"Damnit. Sonofa…ouch" groan Elric constantly.

'Oh! brother, how can someone so small complain so much.' thought Heiderich, 'It's not like he's the only one in pain.' "Ow."

The team was passing through what appeared to be a really tight maze made of giant Arizonian Cacti. Fact that was pointed out by agent Clark who the team found out his more knowledgeable in botanic than his appearance would suggest.

Despite the needles, the pain and various discomforts, they kept journey on.

* * *

"_You moron!_" yelled the Greenman to the Pixie. Well it's was more one of those whispered howling. "_Those aren't even trees! And they don't grow in this region!_"

"_I don't see you do much of anything to stop them if you're that good!_" countered the miffed Pixie that thought that his cactus was a good idea.

Offended the Greenman picked up the challenge.

* * *

"Oww! Wait a sec' my hair is stuck in the thorns" said Hawkeye.

After the cacti the group was now facing a literal barrage of waist high thistles and huge rose bushes. Because the thick vegetation was hiding the uneven terrain, Alfons put his foot into a hole sending him fall into the thorniest of the rose bushes, making him wish for an armor.

* * *

"_See, that how you do it._" boast the Greenman. _"You have no appreciation for subtlety_."

"_Ok,ok, sheesh. Can't even have fun torturing human anymore."_

* * *

Now the BPRD troops were doing a rather lengthy detour around one of the largest species of tree found on earth, a sequoia.

* * *

The little Greenman was giving the Pixie a stare so flat that you could use it as a ruler.

"_What?_" asked the Pixie.

"_You did this on purpose, aren't you?_" retoured the Greenman.

"_What's the problem now? It grows on this continent no?_"

Not taking it anymore the Greenman slapped the Pixie behind the head: "_They only grow that big on the other coast, you idiot!_" The tiny Greenman was feeling the sap going to his head, and was feeling like he was going to burst a cranial xylem if he had to deal with this fool any longer.

"_I'll take care of the tree; you… find something else to make them go back down the mountain._"

The Pixie had the most mischievous face just about then.

* * *

*POF*

"Ack, kof kof, don't step on the mushroom!" Exclaimed Hackeyes.

* * *

The team was running through what was a garden of Titan Arum, also known as the 'corpse plant' covering their nose and face to not breathe the odour similar to that of a decaying mass grave.

* * *

The teams did not even bother to stop at the patch of pineapples.

"This is getting ridiculous." commented Elric.

* * *

"_Idiot!", "Spoilsports!", "Moron!", "fungus face", "Take that back! You know it's a condition!", "Make me!_"; By now the mischievous duo were so engrossed in their fight that they didn't realise the branches of theirs hiding spot being lifted.

The Greenman was attempting to kick the Pixies in the nuts while the other was trying his best to pull all the leaf off the head of his vegetal accomplice when they heard somebody clear his throat way above their heads. It stopped them dead in their track, and both looked up simultaneously in perfect coordination to see a circle of giant humans towering over them, pointing their weapons in their direction and looking seriously pissed.

The Pixie let out a nervous chuckle.

* * *

"You went down there twice you say, could you tell me when?" Hellboy had is suspicions about when he supposedly got out. If is suspicion was right, and this Edward was telling the truth…

"The first time about 650 moons ago and the second time… around the first quarter of this cycle…"

"About fifty year ago and the last one…" calculated Havoc.

"Two weeks ago, right when someone did a number on the construction site." finished Hellboy for Havoc. Edward for his part had the decency of looking guilty at Hellboy affirmation, but said nothing. 'Sometime, he is easy to read like a book and the rest of it, you wonder what going on in his head.'

Hellboy decided to press on with his reasoning: "Fifty year ago… didn't that crazy old lady back in town told us about something like that? It also coincides with the date on the newspaper clip Schiezka found." he said out loud, as if he was just making conversation. He then switched back the conversation toward Edward. "I suppose it was with those hands of yours that you were… shaving dogs I believe."

Edward trying to follow the conversation filled the blank: "Yes. Sometime."

Hellboy continued: "And now about two weeks ago, the construction site down this hill, got trashed by some mysterious peoples that didn't leave any request or reason why they did it. Also, a lot of the damage looked like it had been done by something with claw or scissors for hand…"

This time Edward did not respond. He did not even look Hellboy in the eye like he was doing before.

Hellboy, seeing Edward shying away from them, decided to stop turning around the subject and go at it directly: "You were at the construction site two weeks ago and you completely destroyed it." That wasn't even a question but Edward, in front of Hellboy authority, answered: "Yes."

And without giving him a pause, Hellboy pressed on: "Why?"

Edward who seeing he did not have anywhere to hide or how to dodge this question tried to explain himself, like most people who are caught try to do.

"I know I wasn't supposed to go out and I broke my promise but the others asked me to help them."

"The others? Wait, a promise?" Hellboy was getting confused.

Outside, you could hear a bird choking on in own spit.

"I promised Kim that I should hide here and never return down there anymore because it was too dangerous for me."

"Who is Kim?" 'Argg.' For every answer he was getting, Hellboy was getting a dozen more questions.

"My friend."

"Does she come around here sometime?"

"No she has not come back in a long time."

"Then who are the others?"

"The people who live here."

* * *

Just outside, Calliban was having a crisis.

'_Thisisbad,thisisbad,thisisbad,thisisbad, THISISBAD! I need to shut him up. But if I do that they will know I am here. But if I don't stop them, he is going to reveal everything… I … I…_"

Calliban was looking frantically around trying to find a solution, when he noticed something.

'I know!' he then flew off around the building to find another entry.

* * *

"There are other peoples who live here! What peoples!" asked an incredulous Havoc. The place looked completely deserted and don't have any sign of somebody else than Edward.

"There those that live in the garden, those who keep the house together, those who live in the cellar, the one who lives in the oven, those who live in the wood, those who…"

"OK." Hellboy lifted up his hand in surrender. He though he figured how Edward was working. When confronted to a 'yes' or 'no' question, that's how he'll answer. But if you ask him to enumerate all the names in the phone book, he'll do so. "We're they the one who ask you to go out down AND if yes, why?"

"Yes, they did and it's because they wanted me to help them defend the house from the bad men who wanted to destroy it."

"But you did not go down any other time since then?"

"No."

Hellboy and Havoc shared a knowing glance. If Edward only helped to thrash the construction site, he wasn't responsible for the kidnaping, or at least he didn't participate in it.

"Did you know there were a lot of children that went missing, being replaced by changeling in town? And all the facts indicate you as the prime suspect."

"No, I did not know. I would never separate children from their parents" said Edward in total sincerity. It's seemed that this peculiar subject was important to him.

Hellboy didn't stop to scrutinise Edward for any indication of duplicity but didn't find any. "But if you are saying the truth, do you have any idea of who could have done this?"

Pensive, Edward hand index and major were twitching as he was trying to find an answer. "No… I don't know who could have done that." He replied chagrined. At that Hellboy and Havoc were disappointed because it meant going back to square one. But suddenly Edward voice perked up.

"But we could ask Calliban. He is very intelligent and he always has good ideas. Maybe he could help."

* * *

'_CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!_' internally screamed Calliban who was back in humanoid form and floating just under the floor near the hole right below Havoc.

'_Why does that monstrosity had to say my name!_'

In a hurry he reached deep within himself for the power that he and his kind wielded and put his hands on the ceiling, willing the already old wood to decay faster.

He continued for a moment until he heard an ominous cracking sound and then disappeared.

* * *

Once again, Hellboy and Havoc wanted to facepalm themselves at Edward failure to give an answer that has proper detailing. God the night seems long when you talk to this guy.

In almost perfect stereo, they ask:

Hellboy: "Who's Caliban?"

Havoc: "Who's Cali***craaak***baaAAA**AAAAAAAaaaan*Baaatooom*"**

"Havoc!"

* * *

A moment earlier outside, in the magnificent garden, the weary and worst for wear team finally made it to their destination. In fact they were stopped dead in their track by what they were seeing.

It was Elric that said something first, resuming the general thought of the group: "What… the… fuck?"

But the spell of wonderment this place had on people was broken by someone's cry and a big crashing sound coming from inside the house.

Snapping out of it, Clark gave the order: "Everyone! Inside!"

It was time to do what they were paid to do; running toward the danger, rather than away from it like any other sane person.

* * *

Across town, someone else was in a hurry. Abe was getting out of the house of Miss Rose Tringham with a box full of evidence. He just finishes hearing the whole story from her and after failing to reach Hellboy on the radio and learning from Hughes that they had lost contact with the teams that went to the mountain, he needed to reach them before they made a grave mistake.

Abe climbed into the car and buckled his belt in one fluid movement while telling Armstrong their destination: "To the mountain. We lost contact with Hellboy and the others; I need to tell them what I found." and Armstrong responded with a simple but serious affirmation looking dead ahead on the road. "AH!"

It was 0.07568 second later that Abe realised his grave mistake by being slammed back into his seat by the power of the acceleration. His cry got drowned by the roar of the engine: "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

Author note:

-Bookeater_otaku: I want to say sorry to have taken so long to write this chapter. It was still faster than some of the previous one but still I would like it have finished it faster. My new job got in the way, but now I have some down time until spring. In the holidays, I also came up with a Hellboy one shot that should be ready soon, so read and review it when it come out, please.

Next chapter will come… when ready and should be the last or the one before the end of the first arc.

In this chapter I made a lot of cameo joke with the Full Metal Alchemist crew in honor of the new film coming out soon: The sacred Star of Milos. I also wanted the humor because I found the previous chapters a little too serious to my taste. It's not because we are dealing with a serious subject that you have to forget how to laugh.

I would also like to have your opinion on Edward Scissorshands, did I get the character right or did I completely miss it?

Well I am waiting for your opinion. Thank you.

* * *

Shiroyuki *^_^*

Hi everybody, I hope you like this new chapter. Personally I had a blast … and not just because of the ditzy pixie *^_^*

Anybody recognized our blue bad guy ?

Megabyte from the animated series 'Reboot'. I have to admit we had hard time to find a villain with blue skin that a 5 years old in 2007 would have known. So MB it was (I can't wait for the hunt tee-hee) *^_^*

As you read we also had a lot of fun at the expense of our guest stars, so give a round of applause to the cast of FMA for the hell we put them through *^_^*

So, have a nice day and as so many tend to say R&R *^_^*


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Hellboy doesn't belong to us *^_^*

Rating: M just to be safe because eventually we'll have some scene of violence and because eventually we'll be dealing with mature subject matter.

Oh! And before I forget, this is "talking", this is 'thinking' and this is talking in foreign language. Have a pleasant read.

Hellboy – A place to belong

Chapter 8

"Havoc!" Hellboy could only call out as his mission partner fell down to the level below. The hollow sound of Havoc impacting with the ground accompanied with the staccato of debris falling down echoed into the cavernous mansion.

Panic gripped him only for a second but the fear of another colleague dying on his watch clinched to him like someone drowning cling to the life boat. His mind step into third gear, he needed to ascertain the situation because he couldn't allow himself to make a mistake here.

He wasn't able to see Havoc from where he was standing because the collapse caused decades of dust to fly off in the air. Also he had to back away from the hole in fear that the weakened floor to break further making him fall too or having pieces falling on Havoc. Even given the general sturdiness of the place, a sudden fall of the rest of the floor could cause entire collapse of the place. This left him with a bad view of what lies below and he needed to vacate the premise. Then there was the other occupant of the room, Edward.

Maybe because he was naturally suspicious of everybody; or maybe because he had a flash of anger at himself for letting something happen to a colleague on a mission, Hellboy threw Edward an accusatory look. Only to meet the panicked eye of a completely innocent bystander who seemed truly worried by what just happened. Hellboy had a small pang of regret in his chest to have hastily thought like that. It was like having kicked a puppy without intending to. But still, Edward paid no mind to this as he was approaching the hole to look down.

"Stay back! It could collapse further!" cried Hellboy to the dark haired man who promptly backed off at Hellboy warning. Turning back to the hole Hellboy called out for his fellow agent. "Havoc can you hear me !? Havoc please respond !"

A fall from this height could surely damage a normal human like Havoc so he would need treatment as soon as possible depending on the wounds. As far as he knew they were in the middle of enemy territory which made the situation even more precarious. Plus with the radio still down and he didn't have the option to call backup. He needed to get to Havoc right away. With his capacities, he could easily jump down from here without harming himself, but it would leave his prime suspect alone to wander off. He would have to come with him. And it would mean that he would lose direct sight with the wounded for the time it would take them to go around. If he could ascertain that Havoc was alive and awake first, he would make him talk non-stop so he could verify his wellbeing.

Hellboy decided to call out to him one more time before going down in hope of a response. "Havoc! Don't move! I am coming down…!" Hellboy interrupted his speech when he heard the sound of many pairs of feet running down below toward the general position of Havoc.

The slightly high voice of Alfons Heiderich came through the dust cloud : "There he is!" Multiple beam of light coming from flashlights danced below. Followed by a : "Sir! I heard Red up there!"

The grainy authoritarian voice of the second in command Scott Clark boomed in the open room like thunder over a drought plagued plain filling the air with the hope of rain. Well, more like spit in this case, but they're still spits of hope.

"What in the fucking Hell! Hellboy! You up here?! What's the situation!" bellowed special agent Clark. Well at least now they didn't have to worry about surprising anybody on this mission. Everybody has to be awake after 'that'.

"Yes, I am up here! The floor gave out under Havoc. Secure the room we're coming down."

Clark turned toward Mustang and asked: "We?"

Hellboy turned toward Edward who seemed out of his element even in his own house and told him. "Follow me, we are going down there." The thin metal man not knowing what else to do did as he was told.

* * *

If frustration, exasperation, stress and anger were money, Calliban would presently be in the top ten of the richest person in the world. Right above the cashiers and store clerks during Christmas sales but under the mine sweepers. But such scale is mostly circumstantial like stock exchange, but some cases are constantly present in the countdown. Like Manning who is always a solid contender for the top three.

* * *

'OHFORTHELOVEOF…! MORE?!'

Invisible, he was spying from a corner of the room where the human fell. It was a stroke of genius in his humble opinion that stopped that walking abomination to spoil his plan. All he had to do was get rid of the human accompanying the demon, then, in the confusion Hellboy would try to rescue his pathetic companion, then he Calliban, would stage another collapse on top of them.

He knew that it would probably not be enough to stop the demon, but he would just need to restrain that wretched freak, hide it, then take its appearance, make things looks like everything was 'its' fault, and when Hellboy was persuaded that it was that metal riddled junk that's trying to kill them, before disappearing and let the original free to take the blame.

Upon that point, let everything take its course. Brilliant, is it not? Original even. Sometime he was amazed by his own intelligence. And it was just something he thought on the fly. That was the proof that he, himself, Calliban was such a great strategist.

But Calliban forgot that one very important titbit, is that no battle plan ever survive the first encounter with the enemy.

As he was watching for a chance to get the blasted automaton alone, reinforcement arrived. Six more humans, in the same garb than the one who was accompanying Hellboy, barged into the building as soon as the victim hit the ground. And now the devil was joining up with them and the error of nature sticking to his shadow like a cat on a sun-baked sidewalk.

Cursing his luck, he could only hide himself and watch thing as they develop.

But something was troubling him. How on Earth did they manage to come up here?

* * *

Hawkeye was examining the unconscious agent Havoc with Clark hovering around waiting for the diagnostic. Everyone else was spread out around the spacious room trying to make sure that nothing was out to get them, while keeping an eye on the ceiling.

The sound of steps echoing around the house made Clark turn toward the stair where Hellboy was hurriedly descending them, leaving a cloud of kicked up dust in his wake. Without stopping for anything, he made a beeline toward the crash site of poor Havoc without saying anything.

Havoc had fallen backward in total surprise without any chance to recover his position and land on his feet. Instead, it looked like he had landed on his back on what looked like the remains of a frail table that broke his fall. Lucky in his plight, if he had landed two foot to the left he would probably have been impaled on some kind of strange pillar-ish looking metal contraption, that they ignored the purpose.

Once there, he knelt down beside the immobile body of his mission partner who rested among the debris, franticly looking for any obvious wounds or clue on his current state. On her part agent Hawkeye was trying to wake Havoc. The fall obviously made his body go into chock.

And after a frantic minute of uncertainty, Jean Havoc woke with a gasp for air and a jolt of surprise. Which he immediately regretted. A pain, like he didn't know could exist, passed through him hitting the boundary of his body bouncing back for another pass through him and so on until it gradually receded, like a mad rubber ball in a 'fine glass' shop.

It pushed him to describe what he was feeling at the moment with all the eloquence he could muster: "**GAAaaaaaaacckkktt**!"

Hawkeye promptly stopped Havoc from squirming any further. "Don't move", she said, "You have just fallen from a considerable height, so I need you to stay as immobile as possible. Breathe slowly… yes that's it… Ok, now I am going to ask you some question, can you answer me?"

"…Yes…" replied a panting Havoc, between the throbs of pain.

"Good, now I want you to describe the pain, where are you hurting?"

Havoc took the time to take some more breath and swallow his saliva before being able to answer. "My_…*humf**glup_*… everywhere. Oh god _*humf*."_

"Ok, I want to know if you're feeling your arms and legs?"

"Yes. I can." as he groan in pain.

"Good. Can you slowly try to wiggle your fingers and your toes?"

"Ack!". The pain was obvious on Havoc face and the sweat was pearling on it. "I can move my fingers but _*humf_* it *_humf_* hurts *_humf_* to move my toes*_humf_*. Damn this hurts!"

Turning toward Hellboy and Clark, she gave her verdict. "It looks like there's some nerves damage and his spine might be injured. He needs to be immobilised and have medical attention ASAP. The pain medication we have in our kit will help for now but it won't last long, sir."

Clark added his own observation to the situation. "And we need to move him away from under here, there might be another collapse. Heiderich, Mustang you help her strapping him down. Bradley, anything on the radio yet ? We need an evac helicopter."

The distinguish voice of Bradley add a certain gritty quality to it echoed from the other side of the room: "Nothing since we got on the hill, I am afraid. We are completely cut off from the others."

Somewhere in the room, came an outburst from Elric: "Oh, that's just great. No helicopter, no more back up and there's no way an ambulance can make it up here. Does this means we'll have to carry him down ourselves."

Getting up from beside Havoc, Hellboy smugly retort: "You got it Elric and that means you and the rest of the team will have to get him to a hospital while I finish up here."

Obviously disagreeing with his superior officer, Clark gave his input: "You shouldn't do this alone. Beside, your wife would burn my ass if we let anything happens to you." He could almost smell the bacon in his mind.

"Look, you will need four people to stabilize the stretcher and at least two to keep watch."

"We only one to keep watch and you need someone to watch your back." answered Clark knowing of Hellboy 'lonely hero thing'.

"Oh, I won't be alone, I got Edward." pointing his thumbs over his shoulder. Edward Elric who was in fact situated in front of Hellboy exclaimed dubiously. "Euh, I'm right here boss."

"I was talking about the tall one. Come here would you."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SHRIP SO SMALL THAT A FISHERMAN WOULD NO EVEN USE AS BAIT!" a typical disproportionate answer from a very pissed Ed Elric, who is shall we say, vertically challenged and rather touchy about it. In fact, his outburst about his height are rather legendary (and common) amongst the Bureau.

But nobody was paying him any attention for they were watching the lengthy figure slowly descending the stairs in a silence sometime cut by the sound of blades grinding against each other. Because with the near absence of light, the dark suit he was wearing melted with the shadow giving the illusion of an ethereal white marble face coming down the stairs, crowned with a mane of black hair that blended in the darkness.

The flashlights didn't make things any better.

The glow provided by the devices was already sifted from all the dust, the beams were more dispersed around Edward than on him, giving his whole body an unnatural halo. The black of his suit sucked all light that grazed it. He was a dark shadow descending the stairs with an otherworldly grace.

His wide open eyes, encompassed the room before him and never even blinked, staring at his audience in rapture. His arms were posed at his side, blades down, sometime twitching like the claw of predator ready to strike. What looked like simple knives were now gladius in the minds of the observers.

His posture was poise and dignified. It spoke of nobility, like a tall dark gothic lord of some Netherworld who was in HIS house, descending HIS stairs and was armed to the teeth to meet the invader that dared to trespass upon HIS land.

Put together it made him… captivating. An almost silent scene where your own mind provided the music of the last boss, chorus and orchestra included. The svelte figure made its way to the outer circle of the room where they could finally get a good look on him… and the music stopped with a scratch.

Moment passed taking with him Illusion, who was embarrassed to have been caught doing this, leaving only the master of Awkward, the unimpressive Edward, in the center of attention.

While Edward face was devoid of ticks and movements save for a sleigh pinching of his lips, his eyes darting left and right trying to see every one of those curious visitors, not really knowing what to do in this situation.

Hellboy was the first to break the ice: "Everyone, this is Edward. He apparently owns the place and has agreed to help us." Turning toward the new arrival, "Say 'hello', Edward."

"Hello Edward…" said Edward in a very meek voice.

"… '' Edward… Ed… Elric. Was wondering if he was talking to him

"…" The rest of the group were pondering whether they should answer or not.

"…" Havoc was in too much pain think about anything else.

"… Oh that is right." add Hellboy who just remembered that peculiar little quirk about their host. "Edward, why don't you introduce yourself?" he said hoping to get the conversation going.

Like an old tractor, Edward started: "Greeting, my name is Edward Farnsworth. How do you do ?" he said like he rehearsed it a hundred times before.

Still unsure about the newcomer, scant 'Hellos' and 'His' were given around the room. Not waiting for the tractor to stall, Hellboy jumped in and took control over the conversation.

"And Edward this is Clark, Bradley, Mustang, Hawkeye, Elric (Is name is also Edward by the way), Heidrich and you already met Havoc." said Hellboy pointing around the room. "Clark can you come with me for a sec and someone keep Edward company… the tall one."

And Elric accusingly cried from the top his lungs: "You're doing this on purpose! I'm not so tiny that I can only buy children clothes!"

Trying to be encouraging, Edward innocently commented: "But you are tall for a child."

'That's it' … Elric blew his top off. The steam was literally coming out of his ears and his face was turning as red as his vision. Very aware of the danger, Heidrich barely manage to stop him before his friends could add one more assault charge to his record.

Hellboy tuning out the racquet behind him needed to have a word with his second in command but apparently his second in command had more pressing words for him.

"What the fuck is that?!" exclaimed Clark once out of relative earshot.

Hellboy, having fun at of the expense of Clark's growing irritation, was the perfect image of nonchalance. "It as I told you, his name his Edward and he live here. And apparently he's being doing so for a pretty long time too." he said on a somber tone.

By judging Clark's accusing stare, he wasn't satisfied by Red's explanation about Edward.

"Listen, I know what you are thinking, but he had nothing to do with Havoc falling. In fact, just before it we were talking about the case and he seems willing to help."

And by the look on Clark's face, it was clear that he wasn't buying it.

"Trust me on this." confidently affirmed the seasoned detective. "All seem to indicate that the kids are somewhere around here and this guy knows the place better than anybody. And beside this guy's been living in the middle of Fae territory for years, he may give us an edge … no pun intended."

"And what makes you think IT's trustworthy?"

"My guts." and pointing toward both Edwards, he added: "And beside, this guy doesn't know how to lie."

* * *

Back with Edward 'Scissorhand' Farnworth continued his ,unknown to him, risky conversation with Edward 'shorty' Elric. "… but you are not the shortest around here…"

Only to have the height complex ridden mind of the blond man edit the 'not the' out of the phrase,

It managed to only aggravate him more to say the least. Alfons Heidrich for his part was holding on his fellow agent with desperation to stop him from pouncing. Like a toreador holding a kicking bull by the horns, he wasn't going to keep this up for long. All the while wondering how could someone be so oblivious about the situation.

Having no clue about the effects his conversation was having on the other party, the metal handed man continued his complimenting way:"… they are." pointing a sharp finger toward what Clark was holding.

The Pixie and the Greenman who gave humans so much troubles coming up the hill were hanging from a metal wire, captured earlier without a resistance. It was Hellboy turn to be dubious.

"That's why it took you so long?" asked a disbelieved Hellboy.

"Believe me, you have no idea how much troubles they were. If it wasn't for the cold iron wire, we would probably still up our ears in begonias." a still pissed Clark, his calf still itch from the poison Ivy. "If those pins gave us that much trouble what do you expect from Sewing Kit over there?"

"Don't worry, trouble and I are good friends, beside it'll be harder to lose track of that one."

Tick off by Hellboy barb on their inaptitude to handle such small creature, he retorted: "It's not the size that matter but what they got under their sleeves."

And Hellboy giving a brief glance toward an Edward who looked at loss with his conversation with his name sake responded to Clark affirmation: "I'd say about twelve inches of prosthesis each." he half joked, then he added on a more commending tone, "Right now, the priority is to evacuate Havoc, so you guys go down while I find the kids."

And Clark was getting frustrated from Hellboy stubbornness and unwillingness to keep serious in this situation, put his foot down. "We don't do the solo thing around the BPRD anymore Hellboy. The first rule of paranormal cracking is that you never go alone."

Manning had put Clark on the team roaster because he was one of the most competent agents they had but also because he was one of the rare normal persons able to stand his ground in front of Hellboy.

"But I …." interjected Hellboy

"Take both Edwards, they seem to get along so well," and Clark added with a mean smirk, "And that way, at least one of you won't scare the kids once you find them."

'And also Elric trust Scissorguy even less that I do.' thought Clark observing the Edwards antics from the corner of his eye.

Without leaving Hellboy the time to answer, he started to walk toward the team: "How's that stretcher coming?"

Left hanging, the demon realized that Laurel and Hardy just got dumped in his arms.

* * *

A mildly sedated Havoc was perfectly strapped to the rest of a metal shelf turned into an improvised stretcher could only stare at the night sky as he was carried away by Clark, Heidrich, Roy and Bradley, while Hawkeye was opening the march.

Back inside, the demon with the right hand of doom, the automaton with an entire knives set and a dwarf with a P90 were left in a Mexican standoff.

"I do hope that Mister Havoc will make a quick recovery."

Faking surprise, Hellboy exclaimed: "Wow, you can speak without being spoken too?"

"Yes." he answered, totally ignoring the concept of sarcasm.

"Oh boy" he silently said pinching the bridge of his nose. "Edward?"

In discordant duo, the aforementioned simultaneously answered : "Yes?"

"The ta… Farnsworth." stopping himself before rekindling the fire. "Where could you hide about a dozen children in the estate?"

Looking in the vaguely into space with only a scissor twitching, Edward was in deep thoughts. And sounding unsure of himself: "…I would say … the greenhouse behind the house … the west wing … and the cellar." The idea of wanting to hide someone against their will was completely alien to him.

Hellboy took a second to analyse the choices. "We start with the greenhouse."

Elric wanting to understand the logic behind the choice of his boss asked why.

"Usually most fae prefer staying outside than in a human habitat. And the type of fae that swap human children for their own kind generally prefer the outdoor. So, the green house is the next best thing around." Turning toward the other Edward he ordered: "Lead the way."

* * *

"Well, that was disappointing." said a deadpanned/wary Elric. The travel up there earlier was still fresh is his mind and he was eying the luxurious vegetation around him like were going to bite anytime now.

The greenhouse was like the rest of the house, a barely standing wreck with most of its windows broken. But the plants around seemed to be thriving, unnaturally so. But no kids in sight.

To Hellboy experienced eyes, he could see the work of fae magic around the place. But unlike the front garden who gave an impression of majestic tidiness, this place was like an ageless jungle. Two different artists with the same medium. Hellboy was expecting something like the front yard but apparently this was out of his territory. Looking at a colorful orchid, Hellboy mused out loud: "I see a lot Fae work around but no Fae at all. I'm surprised that we could get in here without trouble, we're obviously deep in their sanctum and they don't let anyone enter like that." Turning around to ask Edward about it, "Edward… the one in black, where are all the Fae?" But before he even got an answer, he almost died of an heart attack. Edward was casually cutting off branch and leaves of a bush.

"What are you doing?!" ask Hellboy with a hint of panic in his voice? The last guy he rescued from pissed off Fae passed the last twenty year of his life in a mental institute trying to catch fly with his tongue. Fearing for the future of his taste buds, Hellboy pressed the issue. "Stop that right now or we are never getting out of here alive."

"Don't worry; they just make the plants grow too big. And I always have to trim them down."

"They let you ?... Why ?!" It was like watching Steve Irwin covered in steak rolling in the 'Crocs' pen. It a professional, but he can't be sane.

For the first time tonight, the conversation had fallen into known territory for Edward, making him more talkative.

"They kept making the yard grow too much and I couldn't keep up with the grooming, so I asked them to stop and they said I could do whatever I want for I was the landlord. But if they couldn't have a green place to stay they would leave. So I let them have the back yard that I trim from time to time and they keep the front yard healthy."

Dumbstruck by the amount of words he got from the usually quiet as a tomb guy, Hellboy didn't quite pick up on the details. Elric on the other hand: "The place is yours?"

"Yes."

"… And… ? " asked Elric in wait of details.

"… And what ? not getting what the other Edward wanted.

Hellboy to the rescue, seeing the growing frustration of Elric: "He wants to know how you got the place."

"I don't know, my residents said that the House recognised me as the proprietor, but it's the house of my father."

Hellboy finally getting what going on filled the blank. "Faes are bound by rules, and they need to ask the owner of the land if they can live there. It's often asked indirectly but… Edward why do you let them stay here ?"

"Because they need a place to live." said Edward.

Elric, not satisfied with the answer argued: "But they are not like you, you don't know them, you don't know what they can do." That comment could be seen as 'speciesism' coming from a guy who works on a regular basis with a demon, a fishguy, a smokeguy, a firegirl, ESPs and Armstrong. But in reality it came from years of experience in a field, where the good guy who want to help, end up getting hurt. He would kill himself before admitting it, but Elric was in this job because he cared for others.

But Edward answered without a shadow of malice or sarcasm (he still doesn't get it) in soft voice : "But I am not like you, I do not know you and I do not know what you can do, but I am helping you."

Hellboy put his hand on Ed shoulder to diffuse anything and suggested that they kept on moving.

* * *

Calliban who was still hiding, was dry heaving after hearing that. How such a lowly creature could take pity on us, it was unconceivable. We are the top of creation, the summit of existence and that pathetic excuse for a life form took them in as charity cases? The very thought made him boil in a rage unreached so far by Calliban toward the automaton. The insult was too much and he swears here and there that he will see those interloper dead by sunrise.

* * *

Back inside, Edward Scissorhands showed them the main stair case leading to the first floor of the west wing had collapsed years ago. They would need to get a ladder later. So they decided to leave that for last and as made their way to the cellar, they passed the desolated kitchen located at the back of the mansion. Hellboy could have sworn he saw something within the old wood stove closing the door as they passed. A Domovoi probably took residence there. They're generally from Russia and some followed the family they were protecting when they immigrated. That's how New-York ended up with a Leprechaun infestation in 1847. This whole house showed sign of occupation from supernatural creatures.

Still they passed through the kitchen without a hitch and made it to the heavy door of the cellar. It was shut tight but a 'gentle' shove from Hellboy made them realize that it might have been easier to pull on the door instead. The darkness was thick and swallowed the light. Without missing a beat they began their descent.

The cellar was cold, humid and dark as ink. The air smelt of moss and old wine. At the bottom of the stair they saw an empty cold room, a few crates and an enormous oil furnace. In the shadow they navigate their way around piles of various debris such as broken furniture and weird gizmos of unknown purposes. Exploring the numerous nooks and cranny of spacious room they follow their mysterious soft-spoken guide between the columns and the suspended spider-megalopolis. But with each empty space they pass, the narrower their chances of finding the children and Hellboy wasn't too keen to go on the upper floors with somebody else with what happened to Havoc earlier. He had no doubt that the children are somewhere safe, but the way there might not be. Or the way back for that matter.

There were at least a dozen missing children and with just him, Elric, a still unknown individual and most of the team was away, it's going to be… tricky.

After much zigzagging between debris and dodging columns, they must have passed more than half the length of the building before they noticed a door on one of the wall. "What's there?" asked Hellboy.

"The wine cellar." answered Edward.

"Ok, let's check this out. It's not as if they're anything interesting here."

It was a wine cellar all right. Hellboy could begin to smell wines relent emanating from the closed door. And once they opened the door, their noses were submerged with the smell of wine imbibed wood, soft mossy air and… sceptic tank? The house so far bared no sign of anyone living there so far beside the room where they found Edward. Everything was dusty, stalled or smelled like the outdoor. But after over fifty years of investigation around the world in the most unholy and disgusting place on earth, nothing scream 'life' like a big pile of fresh poop.

Redoubling attention, he wandered his eyes on the room and something was amiss. He stayed in the doorway, waiting to understand the layout of the room before continuing. It was Elric erratic scanning of the room with his flashlight that struck Hellboy with inspiration. Hellboy quickly closed his own flashlight and put his giant right hand over Elric's light to cut the beam. Elric was left, perplex, mostly understood the message and stayed silent with all his senses on alert, trying to spot what his boss did.

The third member of their party, not privy to their silent communication exclaimed himself: "What happened to… ?" Just before being cut short by Hellboy harsh whisper: "There!" before the two agents exploded into a sprint, each going on one side of the room, leaving a baffled Edward behind.

The lack of light had expose what was bugging Hellboy. Behind several rows of mostly empty bottle shelves that went from floor to ceiling. A faint light, more like a pale shimmer was filtering through. The artificial light prevented them to spot the unusual illumination, but in the dark, it was plain to see that there was something over there.

Hellboy ran past the row shelves giving a quick glance between them to check on the progress of his partner. But even this small moment of inattention was enough to for him to miss the trap.

Under normal circumstances Hellboy would have realized that he should have reached the other side of the room by now, it was a small room after all. On that matter, how many rows of empty shelves could be fit in this rather small place and yet he passed another and another and one more was added and another …

The shelves began to get passed him faster and faster until they began to blur all together. But he didn't care for he was getting closer to his destination. The pale shimmer had become a warm glow that kept expanding and getting brighter until encompass everything in a bright white light.

But he wasn't worried, he actually felt at ease, like something was telling him that everything was going to be alright. His many concerns were fading way in the light like a stain of tomato sauce in a vat of bleach. It was difficult to mull over his apprehensions about Havoc and his injuries, his precarious situation with the BPRD and Liz … LIZ! He had to focus! Something wasn't right. He had to think about Liz and the kids … The kids … The ones that are missing … the children … he had to …

To … what ? Oh, yes, find them … no, he didn't, they are right there and they were fiiiine.

Look at them playing around. There one sweet little girl munching on a lollipop and one cute little boy napping on a balloonicorn. The others were waist deep in the giant marshmallow ball pit. A flock of flying trumpets were soaring through the cotton candy clouds playing a merry tune. A pride pop tart felines were prancing across a green meadow leaving behind them a trail of rainbows meowing their annoying song. Hanging in the blue sky, the Sun was smiling warmly at the beautiful landscape that stretch endlessly bellow him.

Hellboy could go anywhere he wished, he only had to follow that yellow brick road that was boarded with gingerbread cottages. As he made his way further into the extravagant countryside, he came across a toyshop directed … by Santa. The rascal! They didn't see each other since Christmas '72 … but it wasn't important, he just spotted chubby little Elric in a diaper with the cutest fluffiest of angelic wings who was chatting lively with Toucan Sam.

Elric noticing his great buddy Hellboy and upon seeing him began laughing out loud. Hellboy looked down at himself and only to find out that he too was a chubby little "angel" and join his bestest friend in the merriment.

Both continued laughing, for everyone were fine … and perfectly safe.

* * *

Author Note :

Shiroyuki : … and welcome to Pyroland *^_^*

Sorry about the cliff-hanger but we both felt it was time to give you all a little something, you've all been so patient you deserved it *^_^*

While we originally plan for this to be the last chapter of this arc, real life issue got in the way and took a lot of our time, so we felt we had to cut things short … and we had SO MUCH MORE TO SAY …

So, this is why we only deliver a small chapter this time and will come up with a real way to rescue the children, kill the bad guy and save the world…

And hopefully we'll be able to put ALL of that in one chapter … if not, we'll put it in two *^_^*

… And now, I have Bookeater how reminding me that I should be making such promises.

… here have the keyboard and say a word to your fans *^_^*

Bookeater: "Word"

No seriously, thank you for reading and always waiting for the next chapter. You have shone great patience there. I had to move two times in 6 month and for a new job then I lost that job… It consumed at least three month of time where we couldn't really put any real work on the fic.

But the adventure of Hellboy, Liz and Abe will continue. This time we experimented with the sensory perceptions of the characters for the narration. Give us your thought about it.

And do you think that Edward (Scissorhand) was in character?

And did you get the other reference at the end other than Team Fortress 2 (Shiroyuki's new obsession… I never should have introduced her to the game…)

See ya.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Hellboy doesn't belong to us and neither does Full Metal Alchemist and Edward Scissorshands *^_^*

Rating: M just to be safe because eventually we'll have some scene of violence and because eventually we'll be dealing with mature subject matter.

Oh! And before I forget, this is "talking", this is 'thinking' and this is _talking in foreign language._ Have a pleasant read.

**Hellboy – A place to belong**

**Chapter 9**

Edward was left in consternation at the entrance of the room, when his two companions rushed in. From where he was standing he hadn't see what caused such a debacle. The basement was left silent and he did not know if he should call them out or if he should simply follow them.

But doubts were holding him back. In fact, ever since the strange peoples of the BPRD entered the manor, Edward was plagued with doubts about the whole situation.

He did promise that he would not go outside anymore because Kim was certain that bad things would happen again. He kept his words for so long before boredom and solitude began to take their toll on him. Feelings he barely understood before his father went to sleep but after meeting her, they became almost unbearable.

When his tenants began to appear, slowly, one by one, it lessened the solitude. Even though they barely interacted with him, their presence soothed the pain.

In contrast, his new acquaintances, while a little distant toward him, shared some of his views about the world of men and how little they understood it or how much they mistrusted it. Like him they were cast out to this place that they now shared. But while this gave them common ground, he wasn't one of them. He was of the realm of men they said, something 'they' made.

Edward did not quite understood; while he admitted a physical resemblance he wasn't similar to them in mind, was it not what counted in the end? His tenants kept saying that he was 'made', to that he retorted: At which point, being born is different than being made when the end result is existing?

They never had an answer to that query and always looked at him perplexedly afterward. They never expected such level of complexity from him and did not know how to react to it.

They did try some of their tricks on him but since they never seem to take hold, all that was left was to treat him as... something that wasn't human but not one of them either.

He was a little hurt when they tried to put him under some of their spells, especially since in his opinion he never did anything that warranted such treatment. But would holding it against them help at all? Besides, compare to what the outside world did to him these small tricks are somewhat forgivable.

In time, they reach a certain coexistence, which became threaten when some promoter wanted to destroy their home. They banded together to stall the invasion. While he was able to quell some of the more worried minds, the more restless ones were ready to take out their anger on the workers as well as the machinery and some were even talking about going on the offensive.

And now, a bunch of strange characters presented themselves in his home, not too unlike how Mrs. Boggs appeared in his life. One even shares the same name as he ... only for some odd reasons that one seem to have a fixation on his height. It was not his fault the other was so short.

They claimed to have come looking for some missing children, not for him. In fact they ignore him most of the time.

Even if they were from the outside, they were not here to endanger him or his tenants nor were they here to destroy... even though one of them broke the floor. He felt really bad about this and hoped that he will make a prompt recovery from his accident.

As for the children, he was appalled by the idea that someone would take them away and hid them in his home. He really hoped they were _Omnis Korrecta_ as his father sometime said.

The situation in itself was odd; beside the men with the big machines, the only other peoples that tried to come inside the manor were here to paint the walls. He did not understand why the fays kept saying it was a bad thing since the walls sure could use a fresh coat. But they insisted that it was not what he was thinking about; it was just another thing that did quite fit his definition.

"Graffiti" derived from the Italian word "graffito" which mean an art form were one produce a piece by scratching a design onto a surface. He did that all the time! What was wrong with it... that and he was also curious about their work.

Anyway, why would anyone bring children here? The one call Hellboy was sure someone did... and not wanting anybody else to get hurt he accepted to help the agents and serve as guide as they look for the children.

And now, something had happen in that room, he was sure of it. What should he do...?

Fleeting thoughts crossed his mind; of Kim and what she did for him, of Kevin who almost got it by that car and how Mrs. Boggs was upset when she believed her son was hurt.

With a vague understanding of a mother's worries he came to a decision, he was going to enter that room and see if his new found friends were fine, then they would continue their search.

And they had to hurry, because when a baby bird falls from the nest the mother will not take it back if you don't do this correctly. He really hoped the parents would still want them back.

* * *

.

At the same time, on the side of the hill the rest of the troop were slowly trekking down the path in hope of evacuating Major Havoc to the nearest medical facility.

While compared to the climb, the decent was suspiciously uneventful despite the darkness, the natural shrubbery and the uneven terrain that made Havoc moan in pain at every choc and bump.

There was one small bamboo grove that dared appear out of place to block the way but the collective glare it received made it shrink back to the ground.

Sometime a look is worth an hundred axes.

* * *

.

Meanwhile in town, the BPRD car containing Abe and Armstrong was doing it best to keep all four wheels on a flat surface... by going through an alleyway half as large as itself. Left wheels to the ground, the right ones on the wall at a 60° angle, leaving as many tire marks as it left psychological scars on Abe's mind.

Armstrong, him was humming "Born to be Wild" accompanied by a chorus of police sirens.

* * *

.

'What's love?' though Hellboy. Apparently it was an entire lake of mango juice with puppy-fish swimming in it. At least that's what's written on sign on the side of the paddle-wheel steamboat. A steamboat that was puffing marshmallow and was also a musical swan.

Oh! And the captain was Mickey Mouse.

Hellboy knew he was delirious. He had enough experience with oracle dream, shamanic vision quest and exotic alcohols binge to know that he was hallucinating... and hard. He did live through the '70s after all.

Right now he was hoppity skipping on a yellow bricks road along with Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Lion and the Tinman singing a sweet song while tap dancing. He didn't have that dream since he was a kid and he only ever told his father. Liz would be rolling on the floor laughing if she knew.

And for the love of her, he couldn't bring himself the will to care.

* * *

.

Everybody was there and time in the room slowed to a crawl. The children were in a happy daze and kept oblivious of their condition by the spell the fays put on them.

The fays hovered over the group, tending to the children while working their magic. However, they were clearly worried. They had been intruded upon while they were assured of never being discovered. Caliban's plan was perfect, or so he said. Not knowing what to do, they simply put the intruders under their spell.

All, except for one.

The only one they could never dupe or enchant. A body and mind filled with iron, the one who possessed the land and let them live here, their last refuge.

Now he knew and was approaching, a confused look on his face, not wanting to believe what he witnessed.

Caliban peeking from the doorframe was gloating inside. The hated interlopers were caught a mere meter before their goal. Only that pesky aberration was left standing and now that he saw, Caliban had to get rid of him. It should be so simple since he was so naive... he just needed to make a remarkable entrance, dispose of him and his iron innards and gloat to the fallen enemies.

But the cruel smirk on his elfin face was wiped off like a bacterium in a bucket of bleach. And from the look he was now sporting, it was painful as well.

Edward, clueless as ever didn't know what to do in front of the other two unresponsiveness drooling stance. So, what does one do in those cases? What would anyone doing those case really? Easy, you poke with your finger to see if they react or not.

* * *

.

Hellboy and Edward (the small one) were on a veranda, dressed as if they were part of the cast of 'Gone with the wind' sitting on biscuit chairs, drinking tankard of bubbling honey served by a flying cow in a butler suit.

The afternoon was beautiful, the grass green, the sky was blue and the monkey orchestra wasn't butchering Mozart symphonies too much, and both the boys where quite fetching in their 1860s southern belle's dress.

"Quite delightful my dear, would you like another beaver sandwich?" ask the Lady Edwardina.

"Oh, it would be wonderful", replied the duchess Anung de Rama, "And what news of the doctor? Will the operation to make you taller stick?"

"Oh oh oh oh oh", she said with a light laugh, "if I didn't know any better, I would say that you are calling me short?"

"Oh oh oh, I assure you the though never crossed my mind dear. Oh oh oh oh." She giggled, making her very opulent, err..., red balcony quake in a very interesting manner in the plunging neckline of her dress.

"Oh oh oh oh, I don't know why but I do feel the urge to slap you right about now, oh oh oh oh." In a more stressed fashion.

"I don't believe you could, oh oh oh oh."

"Oh oh oh." A vein was now about to pop on Lady Edwardina's forehead.

"Oh oh oh oh." Which sounded like 'come and get me tramp' in the hellwoman false soprano voice rather than a demure laughter.

"Oh oh oh." Her left eye twitching.

"Oh oh oh." (Translation: Bitch)

"Oh... Oh... Oh..." (Translation: I'm going to gut you little tart.)

"Oh oh oh ohaaaarghggk" (Translation: I would like to see you tryaaaarghggk.)

* * *

.

Funny thing about cold iron, it disrupts spells as well as do pain. Edward's scissors being made of steel, thus made of about 98% of iron, were enough to break the spell if it broke the skin ... which generally happens when you poke someone in the face with scissors.

Both Edward (the small one) and Hellboy dropped to their knees clutching their forehead.

The method, albeit a crude one, was quite effective. If you ask them right now to describe how it felt they probably would compare it to liking a giant battery, it was a chocking experience that left a metallic aftertaste.

With surprising synchronisation they looked at each other and nodded in an unspoken agreement, it never happened and they will never speak of it for as long as they live.

* * *

.

Caliban was clutching the doorframe so hard it was beginning to crumble. He missed his chance and he couldn't intervene, far too risky.

A sudden pain in his hands made him look down and saw the splinters, looking up he glanced at the frame, the wall, the ceiling...

Then inspiration came to him, he knew what he had to do.

* * *

.

The man with the scissors for hands leaned forward to observe the others, who were shaking off their daze.

"Are you alright? You were not moving?"

Hellboy who seemed to recover faster than his companion answered. "We're fine, thanks. You got us out off this dre... trance... whatever it was... Edward, you ok?"

A duo of 'yes' made him roll his eyes at the absurdity of the situation. Getting up he extended his hand to his co-worker and help him get to his feet.

"I meant you blondie."

"Yeah, yeah, I got that. I'm ok... what was that?"

"A Mesmer or some kind of hypnotic suggestion design to calm down their victims. First time getting hit?"

Only a nod was given by Elric, who was trying to avoid looking at his superior. Was it shame or because he was remembering his boss in a dress? It didn't really matter for he was ready to troop on again.

Beside, being relatively new to the BPRD meant that he didn't know that he would have seen him like that eventually. The Bureau frequently used 'Murder Mystery Games' to train their agents for various situations and they were always rigged in a way that either Abe or Hellboy or both would have to dress the part of a female character.

Hellboy turned toward tall, dark and clueless and looked at him with perplexity. Why wasn't he caught in the illusion? Was it because he was on the side of the changeling but if it was the case why did he free them? But the one who called himself Edward looked ignorant as they were in this story and his intentions were as transparent as tainted windows.

But did it mean that they didn't target him or that it simply didn't work or him. Mister sharp handshake wasn't quite like anything he ever encountered before but had many similarities to an old friend. The simple innocence he showed with an obvious intellect devoid of any malice reminded him of Rog...

"Boss."

His musings were interrupted by his colleague who was looking behind the last shelf.

The mission came back crashing into his mind like a ton of bricks and the numbness in his psychicfied brain vanish.

On a blanket, a dozen of children were either sitting or laying on the floor. Some were awake, their mind seemingly absent. Others were asleep, lost in beautiful dreams. But all were oblivious to the world around them, to the dark, cold, damp place with a drizzle of dust coming from the ceiling.

And behind them leaning against the wall was an assortment of absolutely terrified fays.

It wasn't just changelings but a plethora of different representative of the fairy race and to his knowledge they were all known to abduct children. But as far as he was aware there weren't any records of any of them ever working together before.

In his guts he knew that it wasn't just a band changeling who somehow decided to act on a larger scale but a far deeper plot. While those being could be seen interacting with each other from time to time, working together as a united group was an entirely new story.

For it meant something had banded them together, a cause... or a leader with one.

Nuada... no, he was dead and beside it wasn't his style, far too subtle for a guy ready to go on a warpath. No, this came from someone far more ruthless who didn't hesitate to target the young.

Beside vampires and reporters, which were newly added to the list of things he absolutely despised to confront, this was the worst type of enemies he could encounter.

A quick glance to his left showed a clearly distressed leather clad Edward torn between choc and disbelieve. So apparently, he really didn't know anything about this.

To his right, his short blond braided fellow agent looked ready for anything.

In front, the kidnapper wishing they could hide in the wall had nowhere to run.

And between them, the kids...

He signaled his companions to stay where they were, blocking any escape path, and he slowly sheathed his gun while contouring the circle of children to place himself between them and their captors.

Leaning toward the tallest of the bunch, who shall we say was about "hobbit" size and said in a growling voice: "You're goin' to let the kids go, I'm goin' to arrest each and every one of you without any fuss, they're goin' to take the kids to their parents and we're goin' to have a nice little chat about all of this. No discussion."

"Euh..." inquired a diminutive greenish 'person'... which is the polite thing to say, considering that the first thing that comes to mind when looking at a face like that is 'specimen'.

"Yes?", Hellboy's reply was so cold, it could have frozen vodka instantly.

"...but if we can't discuss, how can we chat?", nervously continued the vaguely human kidnapper.

"Do you want see the inside of your own anus?"

The group vehemently shook their head in negative.

"Then don't ask stupid question."

Behind him, Edward, the tall one, had a finger raised also wanting to know how they were going to talk if they could not discuss. But between Hellboy tone of voice and the other Edward who reached for his hand and taking it down while mouthing the words 'don't ask', he knew that it might be best not to pursue the issue.

Also, he did wonder how could one see the inside of their own anus but he felt that he probably would not have an answer of that one either. With a mirror perhaps...

The children began stirring, coming out of their magically induced stupor. Ed Elric, move to check on them, from the relief on his face it was easy to gather that they were ok.

And there was an even more pressing question on Edward's mind.

"Why?" his voice was so soft, they could have easily missed it if it weren't for the subdued silence.

As if they got tasered the whole group jolted and looked at him, guilt showing on the face of the captive along with a hint of fear.

Hellboy using tie wraps to cuff the perps, glanced at his companion from the corner of his eyes and from the reaction of the faerie peanut gallery, decided to see how this would play out.

The fays were looking at one another, none of them wanting to break the uneasy stillness or willing to see if the demon would make good on his promise.

A tiny winged creature, who looked like Tinker Bell's ugly cousin twice removed, was the first to crack.

Not that any of them stood a chance, a statue would get could sweat in a staring contest with Edward. He could make a killing in Vegas with a poker face like that.

"It's because we were told to!" ejected the tiny creature.

Edward kept staring at them, his gaze like a drill in their composure.

"But why?", he ask again. Was it because of his cluelessness or because the reasons matter more to him than who gave the order.

Now the drill looked about to pierce the back of their skull when another one spoke.

"Because... because we wanted to win.", he said lamentably.

Next to him, some kind of water fowl with a top hat continued, "We're tired of the humans, they take everything, force us to leave our land, our home. And they forget about us, like we don't matter anymore."

The hobbit lookalike, who definitively had goblin somewhere in his family tree, finished, "We wanted to hurt them as they hurt us."

"And a place to live in peace away from them.", quipped 'Tinker Bell'.

They were under his roof and they were bound by old edict to respect him otherwise they could be kick out of the house, something that seem very likely to happen now. Maybe if they get on their hands and knees afterward and grovel enough they might be allowed to pitch a tent in one of the far recess of the estate... if they survive this line of questioning that is.

The gaze continued on unrelenting. Constant, even and implacable, it carried on pushing forward etching at their resolve. A tidal wave would seem hesitant compared to the look Edward was giving them.

After a second of silence that felt like a year before both Hellboy and the Edwards asked simultaneously: "Who?"

Now they really appear afraid, which wasn't good. Whoever gave the orders clearly scared them more than the Edwards and Hellboy combine.

Elric had joined in the staring contest and the waiting game. As for the children, those that were awake, they were confused and some were about to cry.

The greenish one tries to give them answer, but panic had left him stuttering.

"Yes...?" pressure Hellboy in a tone that announce that if he didn't have an answer soon there were going to have a few eyeballs doing a colonoscopy in a very near future.

"It's C... C... CALIBAN!?"

Scissorshands looked like he got slapped, Elric was now submerged with youngsters, those that weren't crying were asking a thousand questions, and Hellboy had his 'superhero sense' tingling.

It was the creature's outcry that sounded like a question combine with the guilt of someone who got caught his hand in the cookie jar that rang the first bell, along with its terrified gaze that wasn't looking at them but at point beyond them that rang the second one. The third and final one came from good old fashion dramatic timing, that perfect moment were a villain would chose to reveal himself.

Looking behind him, Hellboy saw in between the shelves that were in the path of the unique door to the room, a child sized figure draped in shadows was standing in the doorway like he was blocking it with his frail body, his hands on the doorframe.

"You should not have talked.", he declared, "Now, I won't even regret getting rid of you."

The group of fays squealed in terror at the apparition. Elric vaulted around drawing his weapon and Edward looked like a puppy that didn't know why he was kicked.

"And you, the right hand of doom, betrayer to your own kind, you shouldn't have put your nose where it doesn't belong."

"Oh yeah?" , Hellboy retorted placing his left hand on his gun.

"Yeah," Caliban replied mockingly "but before I should really thank you, for now I have the chance to get rid of this revolting abomination." he carried on about the owner of the castle.

"And how are you going to that toothpick?" dared the demon.

"Funny you should ask..."

A crack of wood above and an increase in the trickle of dust brought back a recent memory, a floor giving way under Havoc's feet.

Hellboy barely had the time to shout "Get cover!" before the ceiling began to collapse.

* * *

.

.

**Author Notes** :

_Shiroyuki_:

Now, repeat after me: CLIFFHANGER! … Again, bouhou u_u

On a personal note, I strongly believe that it is a very bad habit to take, but still there was no better place to end this chapter, so here goes.

I know there were a few things I wanted to add about this chapter but I can't recall what they were. Anyway, I won't go around making any predictions or promises about the next chapter(s).

Such as, the next chapter is coming along nicely since Book and I get to sit to work on it more often than the last few months allowed us to do. After all, there's no telling if Book new job's will let us continue seeing each other once a week or if we'll return to once a months.

So, I won't talk about the epic battle that's on its way, no sir.

Nor will I talk about the… what..? ok, ok I'll shut up now.

.

_Bookeater_: Another one done. A big whooping 10 pages of practically doing nothing. Someone commented to us that for 10 pages, nothing really happened. Its just that there is so much going on at the same time that I needed to make sure to forget noting, that I don't ignore the character thought process, and put all the steps for the finish in the next chapter. At least I hope I have put a few good jokes in there.

The baseline for the hallucination parts were inspired by the short video 'Meet the Pyro' for the game Team Forteress 2.

Edward Scissorshand is such a hard character to write. It's difficult to make him appear simple but not stupid at the same time. I want the character to be deeper than in the movie and develop... I don't know in what direction but I want him to develop.

Tell me what you thought about that.

As for Hellboy development, I think it will happen more in chapter eleven since he don't have time to think right now. And the actions scene in the next chapter will be experimental for me since I am not used those type of story. I got some practice in my other fic 'How to know your place' but it will in chapter 10 that it will be put to the test.

On another note, I finally put something in my profile. Go check it out! I talk about what I am currently working on.


End file.
